When the biggest football tournament in town takes place, will you be ready to strike? | Focus

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

This summer, the US, Canada and Mexico will step into the spotlight to host the world’s biggest football tournament. A total of 104 matches will be played in 16 cities. Current estimates indicate that more than five million fans will attend the tournament, far outpacing some of the largest sporting events in the United States.

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

But how do you actually use this data to drive demand and additional revenue? What if you don’t have analysts and dedicated teams to collect and interrogate data? How do you know when to target travelers and offer promotions? To unravel the possibilities at hand, we’ll explore how load factors and flight booking data can be used to drive profitable demand and unlock additional revenue streams.

While everyone is arguing about match day, smart hotels save extra time

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

This summer, we could see that in North America, cities where games are played will see occupancy levels the night before and a steady value. However, around these two nights it drops considerably. For example, Amadeus data from Demand360 shows that the night before and the first match in Mexico City, the average occupancy is 23%, compared to 9% from the same nights in 2025. During the three days before, the occupancy averaged just 13%. To me, this data shows a clear opportunity to increase occupancy around these evenings and drive profitable demand beyond the event.

A simple and effective way for hoteliers to take advantage of these opportunities is to run promotions that incentivize extra nights, such as free breakfast for stays of three nights or more. In destinations where games are distributed, Destination Management organizations can keep travelers engaged between games by organizing and promoting local events, tours and activities, retaining visitors longer, maximizing economic impact and cultivating a positive brand in the host city. There is also the potential for hotels and DMOs to work together to offer the types of packages that allow these potential new travelers to explore beyond the stadium.

Know the matches, predict the fans, score the demand

Beyond the buzz and headlines, hoteliers need some granularity to turn a global event into daily bookings. In other words, if the whole world is coming to your market, where do you start?

Hoteliers should consider investing in targeted regional media campaigns to address demand at its source. By focusing on flight bookings, we can identify which markets are driving demand and where host cities and neighboring markets should focus their media campaigns. Across the tournament, data from Amadeus Travel Intelligence shows that international arrivals are led by Europe, with Britain accounting for 18% of total bookings in the month after the fixture schedule was announced on December 6, and routes from Scotland to Boston increased 162 times over the same period. If hoteliers or DMOs are unsure which programs to focus their campaigns on, flight bookings can provide the context needed to make an informed decision about traffic in and out of the region.

Gather the team and go for the trophy

International football tournaments attract loyal groups of fans, families and tours. This is a great opportunity to win block bookings, where group travel is used to generate additional income.

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 difficult. Hotels have the opportunity to help them enjoy the experience and focus on their team and an unforgettable tournament stay. By coordinating transportation to stadiums, promoting areas where they can watch other matches, and offering catering packages for hungry fans, you can stand out from the crowd and generate additional revenue at the same time.

For group hotels with locations in multiple host cities, a smart way to capture group bookings could be to offer packages for loyal fans who travel to follow their team across different cities. This not only simplifies their travel and ride bookings, it also provides multiple touchpoints to build long-term loyalty.

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

Events of this scale provide an excellent opportunity to fill rooms, sell additional packages and reach new markets. With resources tight in 2026, every promotion, media campaign and local event must be optimized for maximum impact. It is essential that we leverage data to pinpoint precise demand and revenue opportunities.

This year, occupancy data shows that 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 that guides hoteliers to the most effective path to success.