International travel demand to North America's host cities is growing sharply ahead of the FIFA World Cup scheduled to take place in June across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, according to booking data released by Trip.com.
The online travel agency reported that international bookings to the FIFA World Cup tournament’s 16 host cities are up nearly 70 percent year-over-year during the group stage period, reflecting strong demand from fans traveling to attend matches. The international soccer tournament is scheduled for June 11 to July 19.
Trip.com's data indicates that demand is concentrated during the tournament's opening weeks. International bookings during the group stage are up almost 70 percent compared with the same period last year, while growth during the knockout rounds is approximately 40 percent, suggesting fans are prioritizing travel around early-stage fixtures involving their national teams.
Japan recorded the strongest growth among source markets analyzed by Trip.com. Flight bookings from Japan to host cities increased 250 percent year-over-year during the group stage and remained more than 100 percent above prior-year levels during the knockout rounds.
The data also shows travel patterns closely aligned with match schedules. Dallas emerged as the most-booked host city among Japanese travelers during the group stage, while Los Angeles became the leading destination during the knockout phase. More than 30 percent of Japanese travelers booked itineraries including multiple host cities, the highest rate among the markets studied. Nearly 10 percent included travel across more than one host country.
Mexico's host cities also experienced significant increases in accommodation demand. According to Trip.com, hotel bookings in Monterrey increased more than forty-fold year-over-year during the group stage, while Guadalajara recorded more than ten-fold growth. Hotel bookings in Mexico City rose more than 150 percent.
Dallas also saw a substantial increase in accommodation demand, with hotel bookings up more than 1,400 percent during the group stage period, driven primarily by travelers from Japan and South Korea.
In terms of accommodations, three- and four-star hotels accounted for the majority of bookings across most markets. Japanese travelers showed the strongest preference for three-star properties, with more than 61 percent of group-stage hotel bookings falling within that category.
Demand for five-star accommodations increased during the knockout rounds across most markets, with French travelers posting the largest growth in luxury hotel bookings. New York remained the leading destination for four- and five-star hotel bookings across most source markets during both phases of the tournament, according to Trip.com's analysis.