World Cup bookings fall short for some Southern California Chinese businesses
Hotel, bus and airport ride operators say World Cup demand has been weaker than expected outside the Inglewood stadium area. Business owners point to high ticket prices, visa hurdles and travel costs.
With 2026 World Cup matches set for Inglewood, some Chinese owned hotels and transportation operators in Southern California prepared for a visitor rush that has not arrived. A Monterey Park hotel operator upgraded room televisions for sports viewing and lowered prices several times after bookings came in weaker than expected.
Orange County hotel operators say the benefit appears concentrated near the stadium, while bus companies saw group bookings canceled. Some airport ride drivers still have family bookings from China, but others say advertising drew little response; owners cite expensive tickets, visa barriers, scattered host cities, traffic and fuel costs.