"Despite thousands of fans expected to attend the Bay Area's six World Cup matches, hotel booking pace is trailing expectations and even lagging behind a typical summer season, according to local tourism officials."
"Tourism officials say the anticipated surge in visitors has not translated into the level of hotel demand typically associated with major international sporting events."
""The World Cup, first of all, behaves very differently than Super Bowl. It goes over a much longer period of time. And of course, it's very internationally based. So, and there isn't one specific fan fest experience that it becomes the hub of the wheel.""
"A report from the American Hotel and Lodging Association found that 80% of host cities across the country are experiencing similar patterns."
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to bring six matches to the Bay Area, but hotel demand is not matching expectations. Local tourism officials report that booking pace is trailing projections and even falling behind a typical summer season. Similar patterns are occurring nationwide, with a report finding that 80% of host cities show comparable hotel demand shortfalls. Tourism officials say the World Cup differs from events like the Super Bowl because it spans a longer period and is more internationally distributed. Sports travel demand is also influenced by broader global conditions, including geopolitical and domestic uncertainty.
Read at ABC7 San Francisco
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