The FIFA World Cup was supposed to provide a tourism boom for the US, but now the fear is it may never materialise.
A report, 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, 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 percent 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This, the AHLA said, led to artificially high pricing which, after FIFA cancelled a large number of rooms, has been replaced by a vacuum of availability.
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.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is from June 11th to July 19th in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
