Sarah Li, a traveler from Jiangsu province, recently spent over 10,000 CNY (approximately 35 million VND) on a VIP ticket for her son to watch the Portugal versus Uzbekistan group stage match in Houston, United States, later this month. This gift celebrates his completion of the rigorous *gaokao*, China's national college entrance examination.

"The ticket was not cheap, but my son's happiness comes first", Li stated. Not a football fan herself, she plans to shop and explore the city while her son attends the match. The family of three will stay in Houston for a few days before visiting other US destinations.

The willingness of families like Li's to spend is significantly boosting international tourism this summer. The 2026 World Cup is a historic tournament, being the first to be co-hosted by three nations—the United States, Mexico, and Canada—and expanded to include 48 participating teams.

People walk past a World Cup-themed souvenir shop in Shanghai on 12/6. *Photo: Reuters*

According to Chinese online travel companies, demand for World Cup-related travel has surged, with the tournament emerging as a primary driver for summer outbound tourism.

From 11/6 to 19/7, flight bookings from mainland China to New York, which will host the final match, increased by 27% compared to the same period last year, according to data from Beijing-based travel platform Qunar.

Bookings to Atlanta, hosting the semifinals, rose by 32%. Flights to Miami, site of the third-place match, saw a 120% increase. Demand for flights to Monterrey, Mexico, a group stage host city, grew by 170% compared to the previous year.

Hotel bookings also saw significant growth. New York and Los Angeles experienced nearly a 50% increase compared to last year, while bookings in Toronto, host of Canada's opening match, rose by 20%, according to Qunar.

"The demand for live match viewing is booming, driven by the World Cup's appeal and the full recovery of the Chinese international travel market", stated Fu Yifu, a research specialist at Suzhou Commercial Bank.

As demand for high-end cultural and tourism services grows, Chinese consumers increasingly favor spending on premium sports experiences and custom-designed overseas trips, fueling the summer travel market's growth, Fu added.

Bookings for tours, flights, and hotel rooms related to the World Cup event have surged in China. *Photo: AFP*

Beyond boosting the North American market, the tournament is also significantly driving domestic accommodation services. Due to time zone differences, most matches occur in the early morning Beijing time, leading many fans to book hotels for group viewing.

According to Suzhou-based Tongcheng Travel, bookings for rooms equipped with cable television, premium sound systems, and high-speed internet increased by over 90% compared to the week before the tournament began.

While men remain the dominant customer group, demand from female audiences is rising, with women's bookings increasing by 5 percentage points compared to the previous year, the company reported.

Two-bedroom apartments and villa-style guesthouses are also gaining popularity among young football fans, with bookings for this weekend up by 80% compared to last year.

"Consumers prefer spacious, well-appointed accommodations with comprehensive services to enhance both the match-viewing experience and social interaction", stated Xie Xiaoqing, a researcher at Tongcheng Travel.

Some luxury hotels are even launching football-themed presidential suites capable of accommodating over 10 guests, equipped with premium audio-visual systems and dedicated services for fan gatherings. Wanda Hotels & Resorts introduced such packages in cities including Beijing, Shenyang, and Taiyuan.

"This reflects an upgrade in sports consumption in China", Fu commented.

While football-themed weekend getaways are trending, specialist Fu Yifu warned that this boom is seasonal. Customer numbers will quickly decline once the tournament concludes, making it unlikely to be a sustainable revenue growth driver for the service industry.