When the FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, it will generate the largest travel wave the short-term rental industry has ever seen, with an estimated 6 million fans expected to travel through the region.
This isn’t just a windfall for properties in the 16 host cities. Millions of visitors will crisscross the continent, staying in transit markets like Orlando, Austin, Phoenix, and Montreal as they move from match to match or explore nearby destinations before or after games.
For property managers everywhere, whether in a stadium city or along the routes between them, this is both a massive opportunity and a test of strategy. Static pricing, rigid policies, or weak visibility will leave potential revenue on the table.
This blog recaps Episode 5 of STR Rev Talk, featuring expert insights from AutoRank, Guesty, and Rev & Research. We’ll walk through how to build agile pricing systems, hybrid cancellation models, OTA-optimized listings, and pacing strategies that let you capture demand spread across a continent, not just a single city.
▶ Watch the full webinar replay below.
A global demand shock unlike any before
The 2026 World Cup will span 48 teams, 104 matches, and 16 host cities across three countries, the first tournament of its kind. For property managers, that means six weeks of massive but uneven demand spikes, driven by unpredictable team progress, international travel logistics, and shifting guest behavior.
For most revenue managers, historical data is the foundation of every forecast, pacing trends, ADR comparisons, and seasonal baselines all stem from previous years. But when it comes to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, those patterns simply don’t exist.
The final draw on December 5, 2025, will be the single most important date for short-term rental operators. From that moment, millions of fans around the world will begin booking accommodation to follow their national teams, not just within one country, but across three nations, sixteen cities, and multiple time zones.
That instant shift makes every previous dataset irrelevant.
- No historical precedent: There has never been a tri-nation World Cup. Booking behavior from events like Brazil 2014 or Russia 2018 can’t predict how fans will move between Los Angeles, Toronto, and Monterrey in a single tournament.
- New variables: Visa requirements, flight availability, and exchange rates will shape booking patterns as much as match schedules. The cost and complexity of multi-city travel will fragment demand in ways traditional seasonality models can’t capture.
- Compressed decision windows: Fans will book in bursts — spiking after each draw, qualification, or team elimination — creating short, intense waves of demand that RMS tools tuned to gradual pacing may miss.
- Sudden supply influx: Thousands of new hosts will list properties as the event approaches, flooding OTAs with fresh inventory and reshaping market dynamics overnight.
This is not a stable or repeatable market cycle, it’s a live, dynamic ecosystem. The 2026 World Cup will behave less like a tourism season and more like a financial market, with sharp fluctuations and regional micro-booms.
Host cities will see volatility, not just growth
In past events like Rio 2014 and Moscow 2018, hotel occupancy reached 90–100%, and rates surged 50–70% over the previous year. But the U.S. version will behave differently. Matches are scattered across vast distances, Los Angeles to Guadalajara, Toronto to Miami, creating localized surges rather than a uniform boom.
That means property managers must think in micro-markets, not national averages. Miami’s low season, for instance, normally spans August through November, but during the World Cup, it will suddenly host an influx of visitors who’d otherwise skip it.
The ripple effect across transit cities
Even non-host markets will benefit if they position themselves correctly. Fans will book early nights in gateway cities like San Diego, Austin, and Montreal, often before traveling to a match destination.
These cities must adapt their length-of-stay (LOS) and pricing structures to align with travel patterns, two to three nights instead of full-week bookings and adjust cleaning operations accordingly.
Understanding the World Cup traveler
Data from STR Global’s 2018 FIFA World Cup Event Analysis and Oxford Economics’ Brazil 2014 report shows that during past tournaments, most international fans:
- Arrived one to two days before their team’s first match
- Stayed four to seven nights in that host city
- Moved cities mid-tournament, often booking their next stay one to three days in advance
Once the final draw is announced on December 5, 2025, the booking surge will begin immediately. Based on past tournaments, the majority of fans will start booking from December 5 onward, once they know where their team is playing. STR Global and Oxford Economics both noted that 50–70% of host city inventory was booked within the six months leading up to kickoff, with the largest spike in bookings occurring in the first 10 days after the draw.
Not all matches drive equal demand
During the group stage, demand will be uneven. STR Global’s 2018 World Cup analysis found occupancy in host cities could vary by more than 25 percentage points between matches, largely driven by team popularity and fan mobility. Games involving Brazil, Argentina, England, or Germany often sold out days in advance, while less-followed fixtures remained available.
The same will hold true, and likely intensify in 2026. Round of 16 and semifinal markets see the largest surges as the tournament narrows
Fans consolidate into fewer host cities, and ADRs rise sharply around high-profile games. Below you can find early results of occupancy driven based on different matches. This is data from 1 year before the event, but already indicates how different matches will show different occupancy.
In short, match quality and national fan appeal drive rate elasticity. Revenue strategies should evolve with the tournament: open moderately for early rounds, raise rates when big-draw teams are announced, and adapt instantly as knockout results reshape demand.
In the sections below we will cover how you can adapt your strategy based on these traveler characteristics.
Why traditional revenue strategies will fail
Most revenue management systems (RMS) weren’t built for an event like this. They rely on historical data, seasonality trends, and market averages, none of which will exist for the 2026 World Cup.
The panel agreed on three major pitfalls for operators who rely solely on automated or occupancy-based models:
Overpricing too early
In markets like Miami, current future rate graphs already show extreme volatility, wide gaps between 25th and 75th percentile pricing. “That tells me everyone’s nervous,” said Rebecca. “They’re protecting the calendar instead of building a strategy.”
Setting rates too high too soon can price you out of early demand from travelers booking their base stays, especially families or fan groups coordinating logistics long before the fixtures are known.
Holding rigid minimum stays
During dynamic events, long minimum stays (5+ nights) will drive guests to hotels, which can pivot instantly.You can protect your calendar with non-refundable terms for key match days, but stay flexible in between. Guests are willing to pay premium rates for flexibility.
Ignoring mid-tournament dynamics
From a revenue perspective, the World Cup is effectively two separate events:
- The Group Stage, where bookings can be planned ahead based on schedule
- The Knockout Stage, where demand explodes unpredictably as teams progress
If you miss the window for the Group Stage, you’re already behind. But the Knockout Stage will rewrite everything. You’ll need to adjust daily.
The Miami case: lessons for volatile markets
To illustrate this, we dissected Miami’s current performance metrics, a city chosen for its blend of international tourism, event culture, and seasonal swings.
- Occupancy has softened across 2025, with summer months (August–September) among the weakest on record.
- ADR (Average Daily Rate) is flat year-over-year, signaling that many property managers are already maxed out on price elasticity.
- RevPAR declines reveal that higher rates aren’t offsetting lower bookings.
Yet, the World Cup could temporarily reverse this trend, if property managers play it right.
You can’t treat event pricing like static high-season pricing. It is better to lower your LOS and increase ADR. It’s easier to explain to owners, and you can fill gaps later through extensions or add-ons. Watch the data weekly. When the fixtures drop.
Preparing for short booking windows
- Gap management: Shorter stays mean more turnovers, use pricing and cleaning fees strategically to cover operational strain.
- Upsells and concierge add-ons: Guests traveling for the World Cup aren’t price-sensitive; they’re experience-sensitive. Offer early check-ins, local transport partnerships, or stadium transfer packages.
Finding the right balance: cancellation and refund policies
During an event as dynamic as the World Cup, where guests follow teams across borders, adjust travel plans between matches, or cancel entirely after eliminations, a static policy can quietly erode revenue potential.
The data and on-the-ground experience from past tournaments reveal a clear pattern: flexibility drives conversion, but rigidity protects revenue. The winning formula is to blend both.
Non-refundable policies work best when demand is guaranteed, typically on or immediately around match days, when fans book to attend a specific game and are unlikely to cancel. These stays are tied to a fixed event, so guests accept stricter conditions in exchange for availability.
However, the period between matches behaves differently. Guests traveling between host cities, waiting for their team’s next game, or exploring nearby regions tend to value spontaneity. In those windows, maintaining flexible or semi-flexible cancellation options encourages bookings from travelers who would otherwise postpone decisions until the last minute.
A hybrid policy framework is therefore the most effective approach:
- Strict, non-refundable terms around confirmed, high-demand match periods to lock in guaranteed revenue.
- Flexible policies during non-match gaps to keep conversion rates high and capture indecisive travelers.
This dual structure not only increases your overall booking volume but also minimizes exposure to cancellations in peak demand windows. It provides a safety net on days you know will sell out, while still competing effectively during transitional periods where price and flexibility are key differentiators.
Optimizing visibility and conversion during the World Cup
Revenue management no longer stops at pricing. Visibility across online travel agencies (OTAs) is now a revenue driver in itself and a decisive factor during global events.
According to Guesty's latest industry report, presented by Jeff Nisius, listing on more channels was the #2 biggest factor influencing occupancy, outperforming even pricing algorithms and AI dynamic pricing tools.
The Booking.com advantage
While Airbnb remains dominant in the U.S., Booking.com is far stronger among European travelers, a key audience for the World Cup. If you’re not on Booking.com, you’re invisible to the fans who are most likely to travel. The platform has invested heavily in promoting short-term rentals and simplifying payments for U.S. hosts.
For many property managers, that means connecting listings to Booking.com for the first time and customizing descriptions for international visibility.
Listing optimization: the “invisible” revenue lever
Guesty’s industry report showed that 58% of property managers still overlook one critical component: SEO-optimized listing descriptions. On Airbnb you’ve got 50 characters for the title, but Booking.com lets you add keyword-rich descriptions. Use that space to highlight proximity to stadiums, transit lines, or event centers. Guests search by those filters and if your listing isn’t tagged right, it’s invisible.
How to plan for December 5th and beyond
To put theory into action, let’s map the timeline every operator should follow.
Phase 1: Now → December 2025 (Pre-draw preparation)
- Audit all listings for missing amenities (e.g., “stadium proximity,” “event-friendly”)
- Enable multi-channel connections via your PMS or channel manager
- Gather baseline data on occupancy, ADR, and pacing in your market
Phase 2: December 5 → March 2026 (Fixture release and booking surge)
- React instantly to the draw: raise rates in cities with strong fan bases; hold off in uncertain markets.
- Update titles and SEO tags to include team references (e.g., “Stay near Dallas Stadium – Mexico Group Matches”).
- Shorten LOS to attract flexible travelers booking around evolving schedules.
Phase 3: April → June 2026 (Event build-up)
- Monitor pick-up daily using pacing tools; adjust promotions weekly.
- Launch upsell campaigns (early check-in, transport, catering).
- Implement cancellation differentiation, stricter around match days, flexible elsewhere.
How to be prepared for World Cup 2025
The next 18 months are the runway to prepare. The opportunity is immense, but only for those who plan smarter, move faster, and stay adaptive.
Property managers can no longer rely on static pricing or one-size-fits-all playbooks. The next generation of success in STR revenue management will come from layered strategies, cross-functional data use, and constant optimization.
- Build layered, dynamic strategies that adapt weekly
- Use data as a common language across owners and operations
- Treat OTA optimization as integral to revenue management
- Deliver exceptional guest experiences to turn one-time visitors into loyal repeat travelers
Ready to get the most out of the upcoming World Cup?
See how AutoRank combines listing optimization with revenue management strategies and book a demo with our team.
Q&A: Your most pressing World Cup 2026 revenue strategy questions, answered
Below are clear, data-backed answers to the most common challenges property managers will face.
Should property managers mention the World Cup in listing titles or descriptions?
You should optimize listings with descriptive, searchable language that captures guest intent, for example, “Near stadium,” “Walk to venue,” or “Event-ready apartment.”
Focus on keywords tied to geography, proximity, and convenience. Guests are more likely to search for location- and accessibility-based terms than event names.
When should pricing adjustments begin?
The final draw on December 5, 2025 will act as the official market trigger. Rates should be reviewed and adjusted within hours of fixture announcements, as demand will surge in cities hosting major teams.
However, pricing tiers should already be pre-built before that date. Having pre-defined rate bands allows for rapid adjustments without guesswork, minimizing the risk of overpricing early or missing the initial booking wave.
Should non-refundable rates be used for World Cup stays?
Non-refundable policies work best around specific match days and the day before or after those events. Between matches, maintaining flexible terms encourages bookings from travelers planning multi-city stays.
A hybrid approach, strict around match periods, flexible elsewhere, provides protection without limiting conversion. Flexibility remains one of the strongest booking drivers during large international events.
How should cancellations and rebookings be managed?
Cancellations will likely spike once teams are eliminated. The key is to react quickly: relist canceled dates immediately at updated dynamic rates and refresh listing metadata to attract new traffic.
Demand will shift, not disappear. Repricing and retagging listings in real time allows you to capture replacement bookings, often at a higher rate due to compression elsewhere.
What’s the most effective OTA strategy for 2026?
A multi-channel strategy is essential. Airbnb will remain dominant for domestic bookings, but Booking.com is expected to capture a significant share of inbound travel from Europe and Latin America.
Property managers should ensure their PMS or channel manager is connected to at least two OTAs and that listings are individually optimized for each platform’s algorithm. Booking.com rewards detailed descriptions and keyword relevance, while Airbnb emphasizes guest satisfaction, conversion speed, and review quality. You can also use AutoRank to make sure your Airbnb listings are optimized for visibility, making sure you capture those bookings before your competition does.