What's really going on with World Cup hotel bookings
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A report that most Kansas City hotels are underbooked for the World Cup isn't the full story, organizers and tourism officials tell Axios.
Why it matters: Leaders have long said the World Cup will bring hundreds of thousands of visitors who will spend money across the metro, but last week poor hotel numbers grabbed headlines, fueled naysayers and filled local businesses with unease.
Driving the news: The American Hotel and Lodging Association's April report says Kansas City has been the most negatively affected host city, with up to 90% of properties reporting lower bookings than typical for June and July.
- More than 70% say visa barriers and weak international demand are driving factors.
What they're saying: KC2026 president Pam Kramer said the hotel numbers are "one data point," and that flight data, match ticket projections and fan fest registrations tell a different story.
- "Every match at Arrowhead is trending to be a sellout," Kramer says.
- People from 120 countries, plus lots of U.S. visitors, have registered for Fan Fest.
The latest: With just over a month to go, hotel bookings week-over-week are beginning to rise, Walker Swan, president of the Hotel and Lodging Association of Greater Kansas City, told FOX4.
Between the lines: "Booking windows are shortening with more last-minute travel decisions being made, particularly for international visitors, and ever-changing global landscapes are impacting all aspects of travel," says Derik Detter, director of market research at Visit KC.
- The Trump administration's visa bond program, which requires travelers from certain countries to post $5,000–$15,000, affects two countries playing in Kansas City: Algeria and Tunisia.
- And costs associated with the Iran war could dampen travel.
Short-term rentals have been in high demand in Kansas City.
- Bram Gallagher, an economist at rental data company AirDNA, tells Axios the KC area has added 1,000 rentals in the last four months, and occupancy is already at 50% for group stage matches.
- He said visitors facing an expensive World Cup might be seeking out per-bed value, since most rentals in KC are single-family homes.
Air travel demand is showing year-over-year gains in June (+48%) and July (+32%), per Visit KC, with bookings up domestically and internationally.
- Year-over-year inbound and outbound flight capacity at KCI is up 54,462 seats in June and 70,541 in July.
- And Google flight data ranked Kansas City No. 1 among trending summer destinations.
The bottom line: Kramer says they're still expecting as many as 650,000 visitors across the entire World Cup.