It’s more than just ticket prices that soccer fans will be paying up for at this year’s World Cup. Hotel taxes and transportation costs are just some of the ways organizers and hosts are squeezing money out of spectators.
Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta is making the strongest bull case in the hotel sector right now, and early U.S. industry data backs him up. But the Middle East and the World Cup remain open questions.
Many hotels are seeing soft 2026 World Cup bookings as fans seem to be waiting until the last minute. It seems possible that the event will draw a higher mix of domestic fans than many first expected.
On Monday’s Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast, Wil Slickers, Michael Goldin, Brandreth Canaley, and Jamie Lane break down the latest headlines shaping short-term rentals and travel strategy.
Marriott isn't treating the Olympics and World Cup as one-off windfalls. It says experiences-driven travel remains strong and that 'live tourism' has become a steady growth lever.
For a tournament billed as a once-in-a-lifetime business travel moment, friction over U.S. border rules poses a real threat to revenue and the experience.