Los Angeles hotels are still waiting for a surge in demand from the World Cup

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Hotel rooms in Los Angeles and other FIFA World Cup host cities could sit empty, despite high expectations that the global sporting event would be a boon to the city.The soccer tournament, which has sold more than 5 million tickets so far, has historically triggered a surge of international and domestic tourism and infused host cities with an economic boost.This year, however, 80% of hotels surveyed by the American Hotel and Lodging Assn.

said bookings are lagging behind initial forecasts.The hotel association partly blames FIFA for the slowdown, saying the organization overbooked blocks of hotel rooms that did not reflect true demand.

Travel also is being hampered by higher airfares and gas prices due to the conflict in Iran.Visa barriers and broader geopolitical concerns are suppressing international travel demand, the report said.

Business Airbnb announced Wednesday it was adding new services to its platform, including exclusive FIFA World Cup experiences.“With just two months until kickoff, indicators suggest the anticipated economic lift may fall short of expectations,” the report said.The number of tickets sold for the tournament “has not yet translated into strong hotel bookings.” In L.A., where World Cup games will be played next month at SoFi stadium, more than 65% of hotel respondents said room bookings were below estimated demand.

Many respondents said bookings were even lagging behind that of a typical summer.Hotels in Los Angeles cited visa complications and long distances from the venue as obstacles to bookings.

According to the report, FIFA booked thousands of rooms in downtown Los Angeles that it canceled.Business Travel spending shrank slightly in Los Angeles County last year as local crises drove away tourists and national policy alienated foreign visitors.Ahead of all World Cup tournaments, FIFA places large blocks of rooms on hold across variou...