With the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaching, Houston Airbnb hosts report slower-than-expected bookings despite forecasts of a significant economic impact.
HOUSTON — With just over a month until the 2026 FIFA World Cup arrives in Houston, some local Airbnb hosts say they are still waiting for the surge in bookings they expected ahead of the global event.
Houston is set to host seven World Cup matches, and officials with the Houston host committee project the tournament could bring about 500,000 visitors and generate an estimated $1.5 billion economic impact for the region.
“Our projection is for 500,000 visitors to come to Houston and $1.5 billion in economic impacts to the region,” said Christian Canetti, president of Houston’s host committee.
According to Houston First, which tracks hotel and travel data in the area, hotel reservations are already trending upward compared to last year. Officials said June hotel bookings are up more than 9% and July bookings are up 11% compared to 2025.
Canetti said short-term rental data also points toward increased demand.
“Short-term rentals [are] very, very high, so all the data shows that we are going to see an increase here in Houston,” he said.
But several local Airbnb hosts told KHOU 11 they have not yet seen the World Cup rush reflected in their bookings.
“My Airbnb listings are not booked as of yet,” said local host Adrian Garcia.
Garcia, who has been hosting for 10 years and owns or manages six properties, said he expected his downtown-area listings to fill quickly.
“Being that my Airbnbs are well located and right in downtown, I was expecting for it to be booked right away,” Garcia said.
Another host, Shannon Wolfe, said she also expected an early increase in reservations.
“We have not had a single booking specifically for the World Cup,” Wolfe said.
She said she adjusted pricing ahead of the event, though not as aggressively as Airbnb’s suggested rates.
Meanwhile, Airbnb, an official FIFA World Cup partner, says its internal data shows strong growth in some Houston neighborhoods. The company said areas including North Houston, Northeast Houston and Sunnyside have seen booking increases of more than 400% compared to last year.
Some hosts remain skeptical of those numbers.
“I don’t think there is four times the amount,” said host Sebastian Long. “Maybe the dollar amount has increased by that amount.”
Long, who is part of the Texas Short Term Rental Association and manages about 200 listings in Houston and Dallas, said his properties are seeing steady bookings for June and July.
“Our rates are only about 20 to 25 percent higher than last year for those months,” Long said. “That is what we are aiming for.”
Hosts say they are hopeful bookings will increase closer to kickoff as travelers finalize plans and ticket prices potentially decrease.
“I’m hoping people book last minute,” Garcia said. “I am going to have to drop my prices too. I don’t want to be left out with no bookings at all in this peak global event.”
Long said Houston’s large number of available accommodations may also mean travelers do not feel pressure to book far in advance.
“Houston is a market that has a lot for accommodation,” he said. “It can absorb a lot of travelers. People don’t need to book far in advance.”
Airbnb told KHOU 11 that bookings for major international events often happen much closer to the actual dates. The company pointed to a similar trend during the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, where two out of every three bookings happened within two months of the event.
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