Hopes of World Cup tourist boom feeling shaky in Seattle

Last year, FIFA President Gianni Infantino likened this year’s World Cup to “104 Super Bowls.”

With the soccer tournament a month away, that’s feeling like a stretch.

In Seattle, which will host six matches, bullish expectations for the local tourism economy have dampened. Many other cities are in the same boat.

-snip-

Millions of tickets sold for the U.S. matches haven’t translated to hotel bookings, as domestic travelers outpace those from other countries, according to an analysis from the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/05/13/hopes-of-world-cup-tourist-boom-feeling-shaky-in-seattle/

One theory offered, besides the Trump stink, is that many the tickets have been bought up by bots and scalpers and no one wants to pay the higher prices.