2026 World Cup travel demand looks uneven across host cities as kickoff nears

The 2026 World Cup begins Thursday in Mexico City and runs through mid-July, but early indicators suggest the tourism upside for U.S. businesses will vary by city and by match. Sojern’s booking data shows year-over-year flight gains in places like Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami and New York, while Seattle is tracking lower than last year. FIFA has projected up to $17.2 billion in U.S. GDP impact, though Deutsche Bank said the net lift could be limited given the size of the U.S. economy.