This World Cup, Bigger Might Not Really Be Better
An average visitor is expected to spend around $5,400 in the US—far above the $720-$2,500 visitors to Qatar spent in 2022.
Transport at this year’s tournament is fundamentally different from that of the one-city tournament in Qatar, or in Russia in 2018, which provided free public transportation and an additional 500 trains to help people get around.
This year, because of the vast distances, the only option for fans and teams is flights, which airlines have been adding to accommodate potential World Cup travelers.
“Teams and fans now must factor in flights, not metro rides, and the carbon and cost implications are real,” Anagnostopoulos says.
The need to book flights, not trains or taxis, may also be decreasing demand for hotels simply because the travel costs are too high for some people. “US hotels are already reporting bookings below expectations,” Anagnostopoulos says. “Scale doesn’t guarantee the crowds will show up.”
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