Tourism officials say the anticipated surge in visitors has not translated into the level of hotel demand typically associated with major international sporting events.
"The 2026 FIFA World Cup is coming to the Bay Area... and tourism groups are gearing up for the excitement," said Anna Marie Persutti of the San Francisco Travel Association. "Sports tourism is a big thing. And we saw that time and time again with Super Bowl and obviously FIFA, we would we would we were hoping it was going to be a little bit better than it is."
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Despite thousands of fans expected to attend the Bay Area's six World Cup matches, hotel booking pace is trailing expectations and even lagging behind a typical summer season, according to local tourism officials.
The trend is not isolated to Northern California. A report from the American Hotel and Lodging Association found that 80% of host cities across the country are experiencing similar patterns.
Persutti says the World Cup differs significantly from other marquee events such as the Super Bowl.
"The World Cup, first of all, behaves very differently than Super Bowl. It goes over a much longer period of time. And of course, it's very internationally based. So, and there isn't one specific fan fest experience that it becomes the hub of the wheel."
San Jose State University professor of sports communications Shaun Fletcher said broader global factors are also affecting travel demand.
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"It's not surprising to me at all. When countries are in geopolitical and even domestic uncertainty, oftentimes travel, both domestic and internationally, is going to suffer," Fletcher said.
Fletcher pointed to a decline in foreign visitors to the United States this year, citing issues such as immigration enforcement concerns and international conflicts.
He believes rising travel costs are also playing a role.
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"Oftentimes we're seeing in today's climate that the United States has a declining perception around the safety and what you would be dealing with if you were to make that investment to come to the World Cup."
Tourism officials say conditions could still change as the tournament approaches.
However, with about 30 days until the first matches begin, time is running short for a significant turnaround in hotel demand.
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