Skift hold
The profile of visitors to the 2026 World Cup is oriented towards corporate group travelers. Individual tourists are left behind.
Dawit Habtemariam
Everyone at IPW travel fair in Los Angeles expected to do big business for the 2026 FIFA World Cupbut several tour operators told us that a large part of this sum would come from companies and large groups.
“What happened is that the World Cup became a corporate event,” said Oswaldo Freitas, CEO of the tour operator Easy time travel. “It’s no longer a public event.”
“These are big companies that buy the blocks of tickets and give them to their customers,” said Lena Ross, chief operating officer of America 4 Yououtdoor adventure specialist and current president of the International Inbound Travel Association.
FIFA tournaments have become too expensive for individual travelers. “Because of the tariff, the cost of hospitality tickets (package) is so high that a regular customer cannot afford it,” Freitas said.
Business will come from large companies rewarding their top performers with tickets, which will go on sale in 2025.
This is suitable for tour operators specializing in serving corporate groups. But this trend poses a problem if you're an operator who doesn't do this.
“Large companies like sponsors – for example Panasonic, Honda or Coca-Cola – organize incentives in their markets, for example in Brazil, and then hire us to organize a trip for them,” Freitas said.
Some tour operators may come under financial pressure during the World Cup as their costs increase and profits decrease for non-sporting tours and packages.
Global events can cause a tour operator's local partners to raise their prices. For example, as Paris prepares to host the 2024 Olympic Games, tour guides, hotels and attractions have begun to charge visitors more.
Destinations could face travel inflation
The World Cup could drive tourists out of many U.S. destinations. In the United States, the tournament will take place over nearly 40 days this summer in 11 cities, including New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.
“I think the most important thing that this means for us is that there will be cities and regions that we will have a lot of difficulty getting our normal customers into and who are not interested in the Cup of the World,” Ross said.
A major concern is that hotels could exclude tourists.
“The only concern I have about the World Cup is that the hoteliers in these cities don't think they still need to be aware of the fact that there will be other types of travelers who want to come and visit us. visit,” Nick said. Hentschel, director of operations for AmericanTours International.
