A month ago, things were not looking good for US World Cup travel.
A rather depressing report from the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) showed hotel bookings were sluggish, with 80 per cent of respondents in host cities reporting they were tracking below initial forecasts, thanks to international travel barriers, rising costs and Fifa cancelling block bookings.
It was not all doom and gloom, however. The AHLA suggested there was still a “meaningful opportunity ahead”. And if there is a surefire way to fill hotel rooms – not to mention sell endless pitchers of beer and barbecue platters – it is through 39 days of world-class football in some of North America’s liveliest cities.
The US, which is co-hosting the tournament alongside Canada and Mexico, is expecting five million international visitors over the next six weeks. Matches will be held not only in tourist hubs such as New York, Los Angeles and Miami, but also in often-overlooked destinations including Atlanta and Kansas City. It is an unrivalled opportunity to showcase the many charms of cities so often missed off the international tourist trail.
Beyond the football stadiums, Atlanta boasts the Beltline, a 22-mile corridor lined with street art, bars, restaurants and parks, as well as the excellent National Center for Civil and Human Rights, the neighbourhood where Martin Luther King Jr spent his boyhood years, and vintage shopping in Little Five Points.
In Kansas City, visitors can enjoy some of the country’s finest jazz in the 18th & Vine district, alongside exhibitions at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, both of which are free to enter.
And never has the promotion of US tourism been more sorely needed. Analysis of National Travel and Tourism Office data last month showed that four million fewer foreign visitors entered the US in 2025 than in 2024. Immigration crackdowns, visa restrictions and social media screenings at the border appear to have deterred international travellers.
In its report, the AHLA added that, to fully realise the “meaningful opportunity”, the US and Fifa needed to ensure “a welcoming and seamless experience” for international visitors attending the World Cup.
However, after months of reports about extortionate ticket prices and soaring transport costs, things have not improved much this week.
We have heard how Scotland fans had their travel permits revoked without explanation just days before the first matches, while Iran says its entire ticket allocation has been cancelled and members of the national team are encountering visa issues.
Perhaps most shockingly, Somali referee Omar Artan – who was set to make history as the first Somali to officiate at a World Cup – was denied entry at the border in Miami, while Iraq striker Aymen Hussein was questioned for several hours upon arrival in Chicago. “Welcoming” and “seamless” are perhaps not the words that spring to mind.
At its best, football breaks down barriers and brings people together across borders. A tournament like this should be an opportunity to showcase the very best of the United States to prospective travellers. What a shame it would be not to deliver.
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