At the U.S. hotels managed by Meade Atkeson, a slump in tourism has taken a toll on business, but hoteliers like him hope World Cup enthusiasm will soon outweigh wariness about President Donald Trump’s policies.
The U.S. hotel industry in the world’s largest economy has been hurt by a slump in tourism, with the U.S. becoming the only major destination to see a decline in foreign tourists last year.
“Economically speaking, it’s difficult when international travel decreases,” Atkeson told AFP, noting that these tourists tend to stay longer and spend more money.
Foreign visitors account for nearly a quarter of the business at the three Sonesta hotels he manages, two in Washington and one-third in Miami Beach.
However, in the first 11 months of 2025, official US data showed that inbound tourism fell by 5.4%.
Canadians have been noticeably absent, with travel volumes down 21.7% since 2024, equivalent to about 4 million fewer people. French tourists fell by almost 7%.
Industry professionals believe this is a result of Trump’s policies, even if they may not say so publicly.
Visitors are angry at the Republican president who has imposed sweeping tariffs on foreign goods, lashed out at other countries, tightened immigration rules and painted some Democratic-led cities as crime-ridden.
Canadians “are being asked to be the 51st state, right?” Atkeson said.
“If you talk to Canadians, you’ll find that many of them choose not to travel as a matter of conscience” or as a matter of principle, he added.
In the meantime, Brazilian tourists “can go wherever they want,” he said. “So they may have gone to Europe, they may have gone to the islands.”
‘Fear’
Thousands of kilometers away, Las Vegas, Nevada’s main resort city with 150,000 hotel rooms, is also having a bad year.
Elsa Rodan, a waitress at the Bellagio Resort and Casino, said her hotel is “lucky” compared to other hotels.
But even so, it will have to lower prices to attract customers, added Rodin, a representative for the United Here union, speaking at a news conference in Washington.
Standing Together president Gwen Mills urged renewed efforts to lobby for the Trump administration’s policies and rhetoric, which she said are endangering an industry that employs more than 2 million people.
According to her, hoteliers are not pushing the government hard enough.
Employers expressed “fear, fear rearing its head,” she said.
Hope for “better”
According to the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), fewer visitors and overnight stays, along with declining revenue, will leave Nevada hotels with a $6.7 billion shortfall by 2025.
But the organization hopes 2026 will be a turning point, and it is counting on the World Cup from June 11 to July 19 to attract tourists.
Eleven U.S. cities will host the competition.
“That’s the equivalent of nearly 80 Super Bowls in just over a month,” AHLA spokesman Ralph Posner told AFP.
“The economic boost won’t be limited to the host city,” he added. “Destinations across the country are looking to benefit as international visitors extend their travels and travel between markets.”
For example, Las Vegas hopes to attract fans who might be stopping by before or after a game in Los Angeles or Kansas City.
Organizers say the World Cup will attract 20-30 million visitors in addition to the 7 million spectators in stadiums.
They believe the entire event could generate $30 billion for the U.S. economy.
“I hope things get better,” Atkeson said.
His hotel in Miami is undergoing renovations and will not be able to host many World Cup-related events.
But his organization in Washington emphasized their proximity to Philadelphia, where several games will be played.
Another complicating factor is the war in the Middle East that broke out after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran, which could affect travel.
“It’s too early to say how we’re going to handle it, but we’ll see,” he said.
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