TORONTO — The countdown is on for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will bring the world’s largest single-sport event to Canada, the United States and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

With 16 host cities spread across three countries, the tournament represents an unprecedented moment for North American tourism and a potentially major revenue driver for the travel trade. But with recent headwinds including the ongoing Middle East conflict, cartel violence in Mexico’s Jalisco state, rising airfares and a sluggish economy, questions persist about whether World Cup ticket and package sales will meet expectations and how effectively travel advisors can capitalize on this massive quadrennial event. 

Even so, early indicators from suppliers suggest strong pockets of demand, particularly as team qualification has now been finalized and travellers begin to map out complex multi-city journeys tied to match schedules and host destinations. We checked in with several suppliers about booking trends, evolving traveller behaviour and how travel advisors can maximize opportunities tied to the tournament.

Qualification drives demand

For Felix Brambilla, Chairman, Founder and Partner of Overseas Network, the official sub-agent of On Location for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Hospitality Programme, early momentum has been encouraging despite global uncertainty.

“Although international demand slowed due to the current war in the Middle East, North American inquiries and purchases remained strong,” said Brambilla.

He added that final team qualification has already played a major role in accelerating interest.

“Recent final team qualifications completed the list of participating countries, creating a surge of excitement from fans around the world. It also generated hype in Canada, now that their opening day adversary – Bosnia & Herzegovina – has been revealed.”

Brambilla also noted that perceived geopolitical concerns have not materially disrupted demand.

“Cartel Violence in Mexico did not remain an international headline long enough to deter existing FIFA customers from altering their plans,” he said, adding that domestic demand in Mexico has already reached peak levels. 

As for the United States, which has seen a persistent decline in Canadian visitors over the past year, Brambilla says cross-border relations have not been much of a factor. 

“As a FIFA 2026 destination, the U.S. did not follow the downturn in U.S.-bound travel. As with previous editions, this shows that fans’ love for the greatest celebration on the planet remains above politics,” he says.

Multi-city itineraries driving opportunity

From a distribution perspective, Robin Lawther, VP of Expedia TAAP and Business Development, says travellers are increasingly treating the World Cup as a catalyst for broader trips rather than single-destination visits.

“Our data shows that travellers aren’t just coming for one match – they’re open to turning the big soccer event into a bigger journey,” says Lawther. “The opportunity is to design multi-destination itineraries that naturally extend length of stay, increase basket size and bundle more services.”

She emphasized that travel advisors are well positioned to capitalize on this behaviour shift by building complex itineraries that connect host cities with leisure destinations.

“Advisors can connect host cities with nearby leisure destinations, add pre- or post-match stays, and layer in flights, hotels, car and experiences in one seamless package,” she said. “These longer, more considered itineraries don’t just feel more valuable to clients, they also support higher overall spend and stronger margins.”

Lawther points to Expedia TAAP tools and education resources as key enablers.

“We are seeing that Expedia TAAP’s dedicated hub is proving especially useful for event-driven trips like this, allowing advisors to quickly compare and combine flights, hotels, transport, and experiences across multiple cities.”

She adds that early booking behaviour is already shaping pricing dynamics.

“Travellers are booking farther in advance and paying higher fares, which drives prices and tightens inventory. The remedy is simple for any big event: plan and book early.”

Domestic draw shaping demand

While global demand is strong, Tim Macdonell, CEO of Elite Sports Tours, says Canadian booking behaviour is more complex due to the domestic hosting footprint.

“Right now, we are seeing some bookings but not as many as we would anticipate,” he says. “The fact that there are games and pre-World Cup matches in cities like Edmonton and Montreal and the actual World Cup in Vancouver and Toronto has dampened a lot of Canadians travelling since they have access to see matches locally.”

Broader geopolitical and travel trends are also expected to influence demand, he adds. 

“The event being played across three counties and 16 cities is tapering local demand. Paired with the U.S.-bound travel downturn and recent violence in Mexico, there really hasn’t been a high demand to travel to those destinations.”

Another setback, says Macdonnell, is star power – or lack thereof. With Italy failing to qualify for the tournament for the third time in a row, and Canada being grouped with Bosnia & Herzegovina, Switzerland and Qatar, the lack of big-draw opponents may be impacting ticket sales.

But overall demand will hinge on Canada’s performance in the tournament.

“We anticipate bookings for other cities to pick up should Canada gain some momentum and advance further in the tournament,” he says. “Toronto and Vancouver have seen the strongest demand at this stage – they’re domestic, safe and familiar to many. Most fans are booking to support Canada and be part of the experience.”

Customization, flexibility & value strategies

Across all three stakeholders, customization and flexibility are emerging as defining features of World Cup travel packages.

Brambilla notes that Overseas Network is encouraging travellers to actively curate their experience rather than follow rigid itineraries.

“Although we offer preset suggested programs to follow a specific team over 13 days and three matches, we systematically encourage our clients to curate their journey,” he says. “Some will start by being drawn to a region, then choose games of interest. Others will be soccer driven and will adapt the itinerary to where their preferred team plays.”

Lawther echoes this need for flexibility but emphasized value-driven planning.

“When everything feels more expensive, value comes from being thoughtful rather than cutting corners,” she says. “Advisors can help travellers by looking at flexible travel dates, staying just outside the busiest host cities, or mixing standout experiences with more budget-friendly accommodation.”

Macdonell highlights how regional clustering across North America can help travellers manage costs.

“Fans don’t necessarily need to stay in the primary host city to go to matches,” he says. “Games at MetLife Stadium can be easily reached from cities like Philadelphia or Newark.”

He also points to alternative base cities across major markets.

“California offers flexibility around Los Angeles, where fans can stay in Anaheim, Long Beach or even San Diego and drive in,” he says. “Texas stands out with its large, connected metro areas around Dallas and Houston, where surrounding cities like Fort Worth or The Woodlands provide more affordable and accessible alternatives.”

Early positioning key to success

Despite differing regional demand patterns, all three executives agree on one core message: timing will be critical.

Lawther reinforced that early planning is essential to securing availability and managing pricing pressure.

“The remedy is simple for any big event: plan and book early.”

Macdonell added that demand could accelerate sharply depending on on-field results.

“Similar to the demand we saw with the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series, fans will be invested as the entire world focuses on World Cup. Sports is an emotional draw.”

And Brambilla recommends advisors to reach out to clients early to stay top of mind.

“Your clients might not think to call you unless you advise them that you can be a resource for planning their next sportscation. Although the planning process is flexible for fans, many will still prefer to call their trusted travel advisor who can build their trip based on their preferences.”

For more information, visit www.overseasnetwork.com, www.expediataap.ca and www.elitesportstours.com.

This article originally appears in the April 23 issue of Travelweek. To read the issue, click here.