International travel demand for the FIFA World Cup 2026 is building across the United States, Canada and Mexico, but new data suggests the benefits will be uneven – both in where visitors go and how much host cities ultimately gain.
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Analysis from Data Appeal and Mabrian, in collaboration with PredictHQ, shows international travel intent is rising across all three host nations, though at different speeds. Mexico is seeing the most consistent growth so far in 2026, while the US recorded a sharper late surge in demand during the first quarter. Canada’s growth has been steadier but more gradual.
At city level, interest is clustering around key destinations. Boston, Mexico City and Vancouver are among those recording the strongest gains, while New York City continues to build on its position as a global travel anchor. However, demand alone will not determine which destinations come out ahead.
The report highlights air connectivity and domestic travel as decisive factors in converting interest into arrivals. The US, with direct air links to 40 of the 48 competing nations, is expected to act as the primary gateway for international visitors, while domestic travel demand is already rising sharply – up an average of 3.82 percentage points year-on-year across host cities during the tournament period.
“The 2026 FIFA World Cup format is expected to distribute both demand and event impact across multiple venues, cities, and countries, creating simultaneous peaks across different locations and generating opportunities for each host nation,” said Maria Pradissitto, North America Market Manager at Data Appeal.
“Early signals from air capacity, search behaviour, and booking patterns suggest that demand will be highly fluid. In this context, success will not be defined by visibility alone, but by a destination’s ability to interpret and act on real-time demand signals, optimising connectivity, pricing strategies, and capacity management to capture value as it shifts.”
Spending is also expected to be significant, with around $4.3 billion (€3.66 billion) in event-related tourism expenditure forecast, with more than 80% of it concentrated in hospitality.
Hotel prices are already rising across the World Cup host cities, with the steepest increases tied to high-profile matches – including the opening game in Mexico City on 11 June and the final on 19 July in the New York/New Jersey area.
‘Marginal and short-lived impacts'
Yet while the travel picture points to a surge in activity in the run-up to the tournament, separate research suggests the broader economic impact may be far more limited.
A report by Oxford Economics finds that US host cities will see only “marginal and short-lived” gains in GDP and employment, largely concentrated in leisure and hospitality.
With little new infrastructure built for the event, much of the expected tourism activity is likely to displace existing travel rather than create entirely new demand.
“As very little new infrastructure has been erected for the World Cup this year, the medium-term impact on growth will be limited and, for the most part, the tourism activity surrounding the games will merely displace existing tourism,” said Barbara Denham, Lead Economist at Oxford Economics and author of the report.
“Hence, it will have only marginal and short-lived impacts on host cities’ total GDP and job growth.”
The impact will also vary widely between cities. Smaller markets such as Kansas City are expected to see the biggest relative boost in jobs, followed by San Jose, Atlanta, Houston and Los Angeles.
In contrast, major tourism hubs like Miami, New York and Seattle are forecast to see smaller gains, as they already attract high volumes of international visitors.
Across all host cities, GDP growth in leisure and hospitality is expected to outperform average levels, but the report notes that outside this sector, the tournament will have little material impact on overall economic performance.
The findings echo patterns seen at previous tournaments, including the 1994 World Cup in the US, where long-term economic effects at city level were limited.