When the biggest soccer tournament comes to town, are you ready to strike?

​

Amadeus’ Senior Vice President of Commercial, Hospitality Americas, Jill Boegel, takes a look at how hoteliers can maximize the impact of the upcoming competition

This summer, the USA, Canada and Mexico are stepping into the spotlight to host the world’s largest football tournament. A total of 104 games will be played across 16 cities. Current estimates anticipate over five million fans to attend the tournament far outpacing some of the largest sports events in the United States. 

In the hospitality industry, five million fans equates to tens of millions of critical data points: flight searches, hotel searches, booking windows. All coming together to map a blueprint of opportunities. 

But how do you actually use this data to drive demand and additional revenue? What do you do if you don’t have analysts and dedicated teams to collate and interrogate data? How do you know when to target travelers and offer promotions? To demystify the opportunities at hand, let’s explore how occupancy levels and flight booking data can be used to drive profitable demand and unlock additional streams of revenue. 

While everyone fights over match day, smart hotels win extra time

In soccer, sometimes the biggest wins are determined by the final goal in extra time, and for hotels, that means the shoulder nights. 

This summer, we can see that across North America, cities hosting games will see occupancy spike on the night before and of a fixture. However, it falls sharply around these two nights. For instance, Amadeus data from Demand360 shows that the night before and of first game in Mexico City, average occupancy stands at 23%, up from 9% over the same nights in 2025. During the three days prior, occupancy averages just 13%. For me, this data showcases a clear opportunity to drive occupancy around these nights and drive profitable demand beyond the event. 

A simple and effective way for hoteliers to capture these opportunities is to run promotions that incentivize additional nights, for instance a complimentary breakfast when you stay for three nights or more. In destinations where games are spread out, Destination Management Organizations can keep travelers engaged between matches by hosting and promoting local events, tours, and activities, helping retain visitors longer, maximize economic impact and cultivate a positive brand across the host city. There is also the potential for hotels and DMOs to partner to offer the types of packages that enable these potentially new travelers to explore beyond the stadium. 

Know the fixtures, predict the fans, score the demand

Beyond the buzz and headlines, hoteliers need some granularity to convert a global event into day-to-day bookings. In other words, when the whole world is coming to your market – where do you start? 

Hoteliers should consider investing in targeted regional media campaigns to capture demand at its source. By focusing on flight bookings, we can identify which markets are driving demand and where host cities and neighbouring markets should focus their media campaigns. Across the tournament, data from Amadeus Travel Intelligence shows that international arrivals are led by Europe, with the UK accounting for 18% of bookings overall made in the month following the match schedule announcement on December 6th, and routes from Scotland to Boston surged 162-fold during the same period. If hoteliers or DMOs are unsure about which fixtures to focus their campaigns on, flight bookings can offer the context needed to make an informed decision on traffic in and out of the region. 

Get the team together and go for the trophy

International soccer tournaments draw in loyal groups of fans, families and tours. This is a great window to win block bookings, leveraging group trips to drive additional revenue. 

For some of these travelers it may be their first time visiting these new destinations, and the logistics of traveling to the games can be daunting. Hotels have an opportunity to help them enjoy the experience and focus on their team and deliver an unforgettable tournament stay. Co-ordinating transport to stadiums, promoting spaces that they can watch other games in and offering catering packages for hungry fans could help you stand out from the crowd while unlocking additional revenue. 

For group hotels with a footprint in multiple host cities, a smart way to capture group bookings could be offering packages for loyal fans traveling to follow their team across different cities. This doesn’t just simplify their trip and drive bookings, it also provides multiple touchpoints to build long-term loyalty. 

Don’t wait for kick-off — the winning strategy starts now

Events of this scale present a prime opportunity to fill rooms, sell ancillary packages, and reach new markets. With resources tight in 2026, every promotion, media campaign, and local event must be optimized for maximum impact. Leveraging data to pinpoint precise pockets of demand and revenue opportunities is essential. 

This year, occupancy data highlights that shoulder nights remain under booked, while flight data shows that European travelers are driving international bookings. In this environment, data is like a map in a maze guiding hoteliers to the most effective path to success.