World Cup Host Cities Topping $8.1B in Total Traveler Spend This Summer
Spillover markets close to host cities are also benefiting from traveler bookings related to the event
Posted On: May 18, 2026 By :Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States, new data from Expedia Group and global demand intelligence and data platform PredictHQ is showing how fan travel is already reshaping demand across North America — in host cities and beyond.
Following Expedia Group and PredictHQ’s partnership announcement earlier this year, findings revealed more than $8.1 billion in total traveler spend across host cities between June and August 2026 – a $750 million year-over-year increase.
Traveler intent refers to the anticipated likelihood of an individual to travel, based on behavior, preferences and demographics. Expedia Group has calculated traveler intent according to first-party search and booking data.
With just under a month from the big kick-off on June 11, the new landing page on Expedia Group’s website spotlights some standout insights for soccer fans:
Traveler Intent from The UK
Traveler intent from the UK has risen sharply in three host cities:
- Boston, Massachusetts: +530 percent YoY
- Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico: +445 percent YoY
- Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri: +390 percent YoY
Kansas and Monterrey Lead The Way
Host cities Kansas City and Monterrey are early leaders in overall international travel, with significant YoY increases in both lodging and travel intent:
- Kansas City: travel intent is +135 percent; lodging intent up +305 percent
- Monterrey: travel intent is +100 percent; lodging intent up +255 percent
To determine this, Expedia Group calculated a conversion score by subtracting the increase in traveler intent from the increase in lodging intent (or demand).
Kansas City and Monterrey achieved the highest conversion scores, followed by host cities like Philadelphia, Dallas, Mexico City and Guadalajara, because they are turning high intent into bookings. On the other hand, conversion-gap markets such as Atlanta and Miami are showing high intent but more room to grow bookings, therefore achieving lower conversion scores.
Spillover Markets
The data from Expedia Group and PredictHQ shows that spillover markets are surging even faster than host cities.
In San Francisco, travel intent is up 15 percent, while surrounding areas are significantly higher:
- Contra Costa County: up 670 percent YoY
- Oakland: up 110 percent YoY
- Santa Cruz County: up 65 percent YoY
In Houston, travel intent is up 185 percent, while nearby Montgomery County has climbed 540 percent. Elsewhere in the area:
- Galveston County is +45 percent YoY
- Fort Worth is up 75 percent YoY
Meanwhile, cities surrounding Seattle, Washington, have also seen a spike in travel intent:
- Tacoma is up 220 percent YoY
- Snohomish County is up 200 percent YoY
International Fans
The data also shows that international fans are proving especially high value ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
In many host cities, international travel is outpacing domestic plans. This is shown where guests turn their trips into longer multi-day stays and book their plans well in advance, increasingly up to six months in advance (like when the FIFA World Cup Final Draw was made in December).
As a result, these guests invest more in their overall experience, making them some of the highest-value travelers to attract during the tournament.
In Kansas City, for example, international travel intent has surged 1,220 percent YoY versus a 75 percent domestic rise in the six months leading up to the World Cup, with similar gaps appearing in:
- Atlanta: International +255 percent (vs. +5 percent domestic)
- Dallas: International +255 percent (vs. +14 percent domestic)
- Houston: International +185 percent (vs. +16 percent domestic)
The data points to a clear opportunity for destinations, hotels and travel brands that position to take advantage of this demand.
“This tournament is creating opportunities far beyond the host cities, with interest rising from both international and domestic travelers,” said Brandon Ehrhardt, vice president of marketing for travel partners and advertisers at Expedia Group. “With Expedia Group’s traveler demand signals and PredictHQ’s event intelligence data, partners can see not only where the matches are, but where demand is building around them.
“For nearby and spillover markets, that creates a chance to position early, reach high-value travelers with the right offers and packages, and turn event momentum into longer stays, higher-value bookings and stronger traveler relationships.”
AHLA and Oxford Economics Reports
It comes as a survey of the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s (AHLA) 30,000-plus members revealed that 80 percent of U.S. hoteliers in the 11 FIFA World Cup host cities this summer were seeing hotel bookings tracking below initial forecasts.
The AHLA report identified five key challenges that the U.S. hotel industry is facing in the lead up to the World Cup: New taxes and fees; international perception of visa delays; TSA wait times and funding uncertainty; room block cancellations; increased gas and jet fuel prices.
A similar report by Oxford Economics suggested that the U.S. host cities would “generate some GDP growth” during the tournament with regards to their leisure and hospitality segments, while intimating that it would only deliver a “temporary, sector-specific boost with minimal lasting economic impact and temporary job gains.