KC is one of the summer's hottest travel spots

Driving the news: Travelers are increasingly building trips around games. An Expedia report found 57% are likely to catch a local sporting event while traveling, rising to 68% among Gen Z and millennials.

Zoom out: Along with KC, Dallas and Houston are seeing the biggest jump in World Cup flight searches of any U.S. host city, per Kayak's tournament dashboard.

• Internationally, the Dominican Republic and Morocco are the breakout destinations, per Axios' national report.
• Domestic airfares are up nearly $100 year over year and international fares nearly $200, but average round-trip airfare to KC is still under $500, one of the better deals among this summer's trending spots.

What to know: Kayak's Kayla DeLoache told Axios it's smart to book early to lock in today's fares before they climb.

• Flying midweek helps, and fares nationally bottom out from mid-August to early September, well after KC's matches end.

The bottom line: With six matches and a downtown FIFA Fan Festival, KC's summer in the spotlight is the brightest it's had in years.