Empty rooms and Fifa cancellations - US hotels fear World Cup washout

Breaking news from the world of sport: Empty rooms and Fifa cancellations - US hotels fear World Cup washoutImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 JulyByDale Johnson Football issues correspondentPublished26 minutes agoThe World Cup was supposed to provide a tourism boom for the US, but now the fear is it may never materialise. A report, external produced by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) has found that bookings are well below expectations in almost every host city. The AHLA said this does not align with Fifa's statement that more than five million tickets have been sold,, external and it creates a risk that "the anticipated economic lift may fall short".

The AHLA is the largest hotel association in the US, representing more than 32,000 properties and over 80% of all franchised hotels. Its report partially puts the blame at the door of Fifa, accusing world football's governing body of block-booking far too many rooms for its own use and creating false demand. This, the AHLA said, led to artificially high pricing which, after Fifa cancelled a large number of rooms, has been replaced by a vacuum of availability.

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Fifa said it does not recognise this accusation. Hotels said high match ticket pricing, local transport and tax costs, and the political backdrop have put visitors off. For the hotels, this World Cup could fall flat.

Fifa bookings 'manufactured artificial demand'The AHLA said hotels spent years preparing and have made "significant investments" based upon official projections. A study commissioned by Fifa,, external released last year, predicted that in the US the World Cup could create 185,000 jobs, adding $17. 7bn) in gross domestic product.

The hotels were planning for an influx of international travellers, who book longer stays with a higher spend. But the AHLA said fewer overseas fans "threatens the broader economic impact" with just over three weeks until the opening game on 11 June. The AHLA said the large-scale bookings made by Fifa in all cities "shaped revenue forecasts, staffing plans and preparations".

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It said this booking policy "manufactured artificial demand" and masked the fact that tourist flow is going to be lower than predicted. Up to 70% of rooms reserved by Fifa in Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Seattle have been cancelled, the AHLA said. In a statement Fifa rejected the AHLA's claims and said it had followed agreements made with hotel chains.

"All room releases were conducted in line with contractually agreed timelines with hotel partners - a standard practice for an event of this scale," a Fifa spokesperson said. "In many cases, room releases were made ahead of established deadlines to further accommodate requests from hotels. "Throughout the planning process, Fifa's accommodations team maintained consistent discussions with hotel stakeholders, including room block adjustments, agreeing to rates, confirming room types and regular reporting, supported by townhall and ongoing communication.

The story has climbed to the top of the sports agenda, with fans and analysts following closely.