The three-week tournament in Philadelphia drove downtown hotel revenue
PHILADELPHIA – Today, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) announced strong revenue results for the city’s hotel industry, resulting in large part from travel around the FIFA World Cup 26™. The city hosted six matches at Philadelphia Stadium on June 14, June 19, June 22, June 25, June 27, and July 4, on which dates Center City hotels saw an increase in revenue, among other key performance metrics, as compared to the same dates in 2025.
Center City Hotel Data Highlights:
Revenue: +50.3%
Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR): +52.4%
Average Daily Rate: +47.5%
Data source: Tourism Economics
“Philadelphia thrives when our city, business community, and hospitality industry come together to welcome the world and showcase all that our city has to offer,” said Gregg Caren, president and CEO of the PHLCVB. “We anticipate the FIFA World Cup will inspire not only future international travel to the city but also serve as a shining example of how we can successfully execute major global events, drawing key future business to Philadelphia.
”In addition to the positive financial impacts experienced by Center City hotels, the impact of visitor turnout was also felt at Philadelphia Stadium and in Fairmount Park. FIFA reported more than 400,000 fans from 190 countries attended six matches at Philadelphia Stadium, while an estimated 250,000 visitors attended the FIFA Fan Festival™ at Lemon Hill. Across the three-week tournament in Philadelphia, visitors experienced all that the city had to offer in a welcoming and accessible environment.
“The 2026 FIFA World Cup was an incredible opportunity for Philadelphia and a tremendous success for our hotel,” said Ken Reed, general manager of the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. “We were honored to serve as a home base for fans from around the world and to experience the excitement and pride they brought to our city. The matches drove some of our highest occupancy levels of the year and contributed to a very strong month overall.”
John Fricke, general manager for Canopy Philadelphia Center City and board chair of the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association, added, “We’re fortunate that our city and hotel team are used to welcoming guests during major events in Philadelphia, but the FIFA World Cup was something truly unique. Our team embraced the opportunity to welcome guests from around the world and share what makes Philadelphia such a one-of-a-kind city. Hearing guests share how much they enjoyed Philadelphia’s history, neighborhoods, food, and their overall experience was incredibly rewarding—it was a proud moment for us, and a great reminder of why hospitality is so special.”
The clear impacts of the FIFA World Cup on Philadelphia illustrate the strong connection between major sporting events and tourism and hospitality, as fans from across the world traveled to experience the excitement firsthand.
Find photos of the FIFA World Cup in Philadelphia in the PHLCVB media center.
About the PHLCVB:
The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) creates a positive economic impact across the Philadelphia region, driving job growth and promoting the health and vibrancy of our hospitality industry by marketing the destination and the Pennsylvania Convention Center and attracting overnight visitors. The PHLCVB’s work engages our partners, the local Philadelphia community, as well as culturally and ethnically diverse regional, national, and international convention, sporting event, and tourism customers. The PHLCVB is also the official tourism promotion agency for the city of Philadelphia globally and is responsible for increasing the number of international leisure visitors to the region each year. To learn more, visit www.discoverPHL.com. For high-resolution photos and videos, story starters, press trip information, and more, visit discoverPHL.com/press-room.
