Kansas City emerged as a major economic beneficiary among U.S. host cities during the World Cup, showcasing the "World Cup effect" from increased spending. Data from Bank of America credit and debit cards indicated a 5% rise in in-person spending across U.S. host cities from June 10 to July 5 compared to the previous year, with Kansas City leading these gains. This included substantial increases in revenue per available room (RevPAR) for hotels, which jumped nearly 50% in Kansas City, outperforming other host markets.
Initially, hotel owners harbored concerns about soft advance bookings and FIFA's release of large blocks of rooms back into the market. However, the tournament's progression, particularly into the semi-finals, drove a travel boom. David Tinsley, senior economist at Bank of America Institute, noted that spending notably picked up after the tournament began, with restaurants and bars experiencing the strongest gains as matches became social events. Even during the final week of the group stage, when occupancy across U.S. host cities declined by almost 3% over the previous year, host city hotels managed to charge 21% higher rates.
The economic uplift wasn't limited to Kansas City, as every U.S. host city experienced some level of economic benefit from soccer fans. Overall flight bookings to World Cup host cities saw an almost 4% increase over the previous year, with a nearly 75% spike in reservations after the opening match. This positive impact is likely underestimated, as the analysis only includes spending via Bank of America cards from U.S. households, excluding cash, checks, international tourist spending, and corporate cards. Short-term rental demand also escalated, especially around high-stakes matches, according to analytics company AirDNA. For instance, flight bookings from Argentina increased nearly 46% year-over-year since the tournament's start, with bookings to Atlanta more than doubling.
