Summary
- Kansas City invested almost $200 million from various sources to host the World Cup, betting the tournament will transform it into a global destination.
- The city expects over 650,000 visitors and $653 million in economic impact but faces challenges attracting international travelers.
- Hotel bookings have fallen short of expectations, forcing homeowners and businesses to adjust their strategies.
AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.
Kansas City is betting big.
Betting almost $200 million, in fact, that hosting the World Cup will transform this Midwestern hub into a global tourist destination. It’s a heady proposition. Already, the tournament has been dubbed the “World Cup of Chaos” over immigration fights and exorbitant ticket prices. Kansas City’s gamble is that it can break through all of that – and convince people to keep coming back.
“You’re putting yourself on the international stage,” Victor Matheson, a professor at The College of the Holy Cross and an expert on sports economics, told CNN. “But do we really think people from Japan and Uzbekistan and Cape Verde are saying, ‘hey, I’m going on my once-in-a-lifetime trip to the United States, and I’m going to take it to Kansas City’?”
Local officials say this is their shot. Kansas City has never hosted something this grand and may never again.
Organizers project more than $653 million in direct economic impacts through retail, food and drink, hospitality and more, said Jenny Wilson, vice president of tourism development at Visit KC. Organizers expect over 650,000 visitors, enough to swallow the city’s population of about 520,000.
Kansas City propped up transit lines to the airport, stadium and downtown fan festival. Homeowners rented out their spaces. An Uber spokesperson said the company is adding more drivers as officials plan for the city’s six matches, which begin Tuesday.
But Kansas City is the underdog. Compared to the 16 hosts across North America, there aren’t many direct flights overseas, and flights aren’t cheap. Fans may not stay for longer vacations – Matheson is flying to Kansas City from Boston for a game and staying for just 36 hours.
And Kansas City is competing with the likes of Mexico City, Los Angeles and Miami, which can pay off their considerable World Cup tabs year-round with other events and entertainment.
“What does a win for a city mean?” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas told CNN. “When should a city invest in these sorts of things? Hopefully this World Cup gives us the chance to test some of these.”
The multibillion-dollar World Cup relies on hosts to pay for infrastructure, transportation, staffing and security. City, state and federal funds paid for Kansas City’s efforts.
Meanwhile, FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, pockets billions from ticket sales, television rights, sponsorships and licensing.
There have been some winners: The 1996 summer Olympics helped revitalize Atlanta’s economy and global reputation, said Pam Kramer, chief executive officer of KC2026, Kansas City’s top World Cup planning organization. Kansas City hopes for the same, with agricultural events for executives and trade leaders already in town for matches, for example.
Plus, Kansas City didn’t have to build new stadiums, saving a major expense.
But the tournament brings other issues. Visa restrictions and the Trump administration’s immigration policies are keeping foreigners away. FIFA’s ticket prices spurred an investigation by the attorneys general of New York and New Jersey. Many of the games are hundreds of miles apart.
A May report from the American Hotel and Lodging Association found hotel bookings across the country were softer than hosts anticipated, in part because FIFA cancelled large room blocks. The tourism industry now expects more domestic travelers who may only book rooms for a night or two.
In Kansas City, that means constantly revising models for how many people will need rides or hotels. Some decisions boil down to “educated guesses,” Lucas said.
At first, organizers thought Kansas City wouldn’t have enough hotel rooms, so the city made it easier for people to rent their homes. By the end of May, Kansas City had increased listings for short-term rentals by 56 percent, by far the most of any other host, said Jamie Lane, chief economist at AirDNA, which tracks short-term rentals like Airbnb and VRBO around the world.
Katherine Riedel thought her three-bedroom house was in the perfect fit – near downtown and close to World Cup transit. This spring, she put her home on Airbnb for the first time. Her price: $1,000 per night, with discounts for longer stays.
Riedel said she got a few requests from people looking to book single rooms during the tournament. Otherwise, no takers. In early May, Riedel went down to $500 per night – and quickly booked guests for a monthlong work trip, and others coming for a July quarterfinal.
“A lot of hosts in the area still think if they just keep holding, that somebody is going to book at $1,500 per night,” Riedel said. “I just don’t think that’s going to happen. I’d rather have money in my pocket than be sitting in my house in June and think, ‘that was a bust.’”
About 55 percent of Kansas City’s short-term rentals are booked around game days, Lane said. He expects that to rise. And so far, hosts are keeping prices firm. Available rooms are 182 percent more expensive than this time last year – some of the highest rates in the country, Lane said.
“It’s expectations versus behavior,” he said. “Expectations are, ‘I was going to be sold out two months ago at quadruple my rate.’ And now, as behavior is playing out, it’s ‘I’m going to get booked a week beforehand at double my rate.’”
Charlie Hustle, a vintage-inspired t-shirt line, believes people will come. The company opened a new pop-up, debuted a limited-edition U.S. Soccer collection and is selling shirts blending flags with the brand’s heart-shaped designs. When shoppers “walk into our stores, it should scream World Cup,” said Vice President Katia Parker.
At Johnny’s Tavern, some plans have been in flux. The restaurant intended to add automatic 18 percent tips to every bill, since international tipping culture is often unpredictable. But it reversed course in the last few days, said partner Kyle Witherspoon. The restaurant wasn’t seeing many foreign travelers. And it risked rubbing locals the wrong way in the meantime, he said.
“We don’t know if we have it right or not,” Witherspoon said. “How do we take care of our employees and not disenfranchise any of our regular customers that have been with us forever? There’s a fine line we’re trying to thread.”
