World Cup Drives Sports Tourism Boom: Korean and Japanese Fans Show Different Travel Styles

The 2026 World Cup, hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is fueling a significant "sports tourism" boom, with global fans flocking to North America. This influx has dramatically increased travel bookings, with reservations in the 16 host cities rising by approximately 70% during the group stage compared to the same period last year. Bookings for the knockout rounds also saw a substantial increase of around 40%.

Data from Trip.com reveals a notable difference in travel patterns between Japanese and South Korean fans. Japanese travelers exhibited the most significant growth in bookings, with a 254.3% increase during the group stage, far exceeding other nationalities. South Korean bookings also increased by 41.8% during the group stage.

Japanese fans demonstrated a preference for multi-city trips, with 33% of their bookings involving travel to more than one host city. They also favored more economical 3-star hotels, accounting for 61.3% of their reservations, indicating a strategy of cost-effective travel across different locations to follow matches.

In contrast, South Korean fans showed a strong tendency to stay in a single host city, with 87.5% of their bookings concentrated in one location during the group stage, rising to 98% during the knockout rounds. Their accommodation choices leaned towards higher-end options, with a relatively high proportion of 5-star hotel bookings, suggesting a preference for premium comfort and convenience during their stay. Mexican cities, particularly Monterrey and Guadalajara, saw exceptional growth in accommodation demand, with bookings surging by over 4,000% and 1,200% respectively.

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Recently, travelers have shown a stronger tendency to choose trips based on their own criteria and objectives, and watching sports matches is also gaining popularity as a criterion for choosing travel destinations. We plan to continue strengthening AI-based hyper-personalized travel services and further expand related products and services.