There will be LOTS of fans in the seats, and the spirit among soccer fans will be very high in Seattle between June 15 and July 6th for the six World Cup Soccer matches that will be played at Lumen Field.
But sources and data show the promised ‘tidal’ wave of visitors and hotel reservations is not happening. At least not yet…
Seattle Businesses Say Hotel Boom is a “Non-Event.”
Many business and sports reporters say the World Cup is like the Olympics, in that the host nation(s) make sky-high promises to sweeten their chances of landing these lucrative events, at least mostly lucrative. FIFA World Cup Officials promised US host cities “104 Super Bowls”, referring to the matches across the nation.
According to Seattle Radio Host Jake Skorheim of KIRO News Radio in Seattle, the expected boom in hotel reservations is not happening. He, and others hope it’s well attended. But Seattle was told and estimated 750,000 visitors would flock to watch the six games.
However, Skolkeim began to have doubts when reliable hotel and hospitality sources told him reservations are not anywhere near ‘expected.’ Because of the expected boost of visitors, many hotels raised their prices. It happens. But then, the rumbings began.
Nationally, World Cup hotel-hospitality Boom Not Happening
And, it’s reinforced by a recent story in Forbes Magazine, saying across the US in World Cup host cities, the hotel boom is a “non-event.” The article cites the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s survey showing 80 percent of respondents are tracking at par or even below the expected traffic this time of year.
Skolheim began to doubt some of the Seattle numbers when he looked a the number of tickets available to fans for those six games at Lumen. It holds 72K for soccer, sold out. Multiply that by six and you have about 430,000 available seats. He rightly asks, where’s the other 320,000 expected visitors going to come from?
Some Point to Security and Safety Issues in Seattle
About 3 weeks ago, we reported how tourism projections for the World Cup had plunged in Seattle by at least ten percent or more. Many believe the downtown-metro drug, crime and homeless issues are partly or largely to blame.
And with Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson refusing to add more, or even turn on existing security cameras, that’s not comforting to residents or visitors. Some of the cameras were provided by the Feds for additional World Cup security to host cities.
With roughly five weeks to go before the games, the Seattle, and other host city hotel and hospitality companies are hoping the slow trend reverses.
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