PROVIDENCE – With the first week of 2026 FIFA World Cup play almost in the history books, local hospitality officials and business owners say the projected windfall of visitor spending started out more middling than booming.
For months, expectations have been that more than 400,000 visitors will travel through the Providence metro area during the tournament and as many as 1 million visitors would descend on the region over the 39 days.
Kristen Adamo, CEO and president of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, said the organization won't have official hotel data until mid-July, but it has asked Providence hotels to self-report.
Adamo said a majority of hotels have seen between 80%-90% occupancy. Rates are higher than normal “but not exorbitant," she said.
With tens of thousands of Ghanaian and Scottish fans now in the city – including members of Scotland's ubiquitous Tartan Army – estimated to bring 5,000 to 10,000 visitors alone, Adamo said she has "received great feedback from hotels, restaurants and attractions" regarding business activity.
The bureau has sold nearly 3,000 tickets on the Stadium Express bus line, which costs $95 and gives World Cup ticketholders transportation from the
Convention Center to Gillette Stadium.
Adamo said there are other residual benefits that may not immediately show up on balance sheets. The city is getting a lot of positive social and legacy media attention, citing a recent write-up in the Spanish daily newspaper El País, and PWCVB Senior Director of Communications & Special Projects Alana O’Hare being featured as a guest on BBC UK.
Michaela M. Antunes, spokesperson for Mayor Brett P. Smiley, said since opening on June 11, nearly 30,000 people have visited the PVD Fanzone located in Station Park, which is broadcasting every FIFA World Cup match and features live music, food trucks and a beer, wine and spirits garden.
However, Jennifer Curtin, the general manager of The Beatrice Hotel, said the boutique hotel hasn’t seen the kind of business rush that was first projected. She believes it may have to do with the U.S. travel restrictions, which has resulted in most of their guests coming from local rather than international regions and therefore booking shorter stays.
"We just haven’t seen an incredible amount of [World Cup-related] business,” she said.
While acknowledging initial projections may have been overhyped, Curtin doesn’t fault state and local officials for their optimism.
“You always have to plan for the extreme,” she said.
Providence is falling in line with national trends. According to the American Hotel and Lodging Association, while 80% of hoteliers are seeing lower-than-expected occupancy levels, short-term rental demand is surging, with average nationwide bookings up 15.2% year over year in June and 17.1% in July.
Short-term rental occupancy rates in host cities have also climbed since last year, with Jersey City and Newark in New Jersey up 40%.
AirDNA, which has a dashboard dedicated to World Cup short-term rental data, shows occupancy rates in the Boston region are hovering around 85%, up more than 20% year over year.
In Providence, daily rates were up 4.8% over last year and active listing rates jumped 3.8%.
However, the World Cup is bringing an international variety of fans.
After waiting 28 years since his country's last World Cup appearance, Norwegian resident Elias Eide traveled to New York before making the 180-mile trek to Providence, joining five of his compatriots who are all staying at the Omni Providence.
Sitting outside Murphy's Deli & Pub on Tuesday, the group plans to take a train to the stadium for Norway's match against Iraq. Whatever the outcome, their plans are booked. The group will be following the team to its next match in New Jersey on June 22.
“We just follow them wherever they go,” he said.
But overall, Adamo believes that the outcome of the matches will be an important factor for businesses over the next few weeks.
“The final two games are playoff rounds, and we won’t know who is playing in those matches until the last minute,” she said. “Fans of those teams have yet to book their accommodations and transportation.”
Still, the once-in-a-generation event remains an exciting opportunity for Providence, said Joseph R. Paolino Jr., a former Providence mayor and managing partner of Paolino Properties LLC, which owns the Beatrice Hotel.
Paolino is taking a long-term view and is confident putting the city on the international stage will reap dividends for some time.
“The question has always been, have we been able to fulfill those expectations?” he said. “And I think we have.”
(CORRECTS 5th paragraph to delete transportation hubs to Gillette Stadium.)
Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com
