Anticipation is building as the FIFA World Cup 2026 hits North America this summer, with new data from Amadeus illustrating positive momentum.
As of January 8th, Amadeus Travel Intelligence data found that total airline bookings to the United States, Canada, and Mexico for travel within the tournament period (June 5th-July 19th) were up 15 percent when compared to the same dates over the prior year. This includes both domestic and international travel.
Following the release of the match schedule on December 6th, Amadeus data recorded a sharp increase in the number of bookings made to travel during the tournament dates, with 37 percent of flight bookings taking place in the month since the draw. British travelers were leading the charge, with 18 percent of total international bookings into the U.S., Mexico, and Canada coming from the U.K.
Flight bookings made in December 2025 between Scotland and Boston, to travel during the tournament dates, revealed a 162-fold increase when compared to December 2024, as Scotland prepared for the first match against Haiti at Gillette Stadium on June 13th.
Meanwhile, Amadeus recorded three and a half times the volume of bookings made in December 2025 by England fans heading to New York/New Jersey for the period, when compared to the same month the prior year. This came as England prepares to take on Panama on June 27th in their first match.
New York also looked to be among the big winners from the tournament more generally, with several spikes in air demand during the event.
Top Destinations in North America
Taking a closer look at accommodation, both Canada and Mexico saw strong increases in occupancy during the opening stages.
On the eve and day of group matches, Amadeus Demand360 data showed that hotels in Vancouver were already welcoming an average occupancy of 53 percent this summer, sharply up from the 31 percent seen on comparable dates last year. In Toronto, the hotel occupancy for its five group matches rose from 15 percent last year to 29 percent this year. These figures are also expected to increase over the coming months as the kick-off approaches.
Mexico City, which will host the opening match between Mexico and South Africa on June 11th, is also anticipating a lucrative summer. On the nights prior to and of the three group matches hosted in the city, average occupancy stood at 21 percent, up from 4 percent over the same period in 2025.
Similar trends could be seen in Guadalajara and Monterrey, with average occupancy rising from 3 percent in both destinations on comparable dates last year to 24 percent and 37 percent, respectively, on the eve and day of group games this summer.
As of January 7th, across the 16 venues in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, average occupancy had risen from 16 percent to 29 percent on the eve and day of matches during the group stages, which run from June 11th to June 28th.
Michael Yeomans, head of travel intelligence at Amadeus, said, “With many of the qualifying nations confirmed and fixtures taking shape, football fans from around the world are putting plans in place to visit North America this summer. Excitement is spread across the three host nations, with Canada and Mexico making the most of the opportunities in the hospitality sector. As an English national, personally I’ll be backing my team and am hoping the cup will come home!”
