Trump's Expanding Travel Ban Could Dampen U.S. Tourism In A World Cup Year

Forbes

5 hours ago

As the Trump administration considers significantly expanding the travel ban to more than four dozen countries, World Cup host cities in the United States that were banking on filling half their stadiums and hotels with foreign visitors could lose big.
The Trump administration is mulling adding 36 nations to the 12 countries already on the travel ban list, according to a memo signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, The Washington Post reported over the weekend.
The ban prevents non-U.S. residents, primarily from the Middle East and Africa, from visiting the U.S. due to what the administration calls national security concerns and public safety.
New countries potentially facing a full or a partial ban if they do not address the administration's concerns within the next 60 days are: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cote D'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe—joining the original 12 banned countries of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
The World Cup qualification process is still ongoing for some confederations, including UEFA (Europe) and CAF (Africa).
The travel ban has a key carve out for international athletes traveling to the U.S. for sports events like the World Cup in 2026 and Olympics in 2028—but not for soccer supporters from banned countries.
The Féderation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) projects that World Cup 2026 will drive $30.5 billion in economic output in the U.S., predicated on the assumption the U.S. will see an 'influx of visitors.'
FIFA has told World Cup host cities to expect a 50/50 split between domestic and international visitors.
A memo from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent Saturday to U.S. diplomats said 36 nations were being given 60 days to meet new benchmarks and requirements established by the State Department, according to the Post's report. The countries were given a deadline of 8 a.m. Wednesday to provide an initial action plan. Among the unattained benchmarks reportedly identified in the memo included countries that had 'no competent or cooperative central government authority to produce reliable identity documents or other civil documents' or 'widespread government fraud.' Some countries landed on the list because they had large numbers of citizens who overstayed their visas in the U.S., according to the memo. 'The Department of State is committed to protecting our nation and its citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process,' an agency spokesperson told Forbes, adding that the State Department 'does not comment on internal deliberations or communications, but we are constantly reevaluating policies to ensure the safety of Americans and that foreign nationals follow our laws.'
FIFA's projections that World Cup 2026 will drive $30.5 billion in economic output in the U.S., according to an analysis from FIFA and OpenEconomics (OE), is predicated on the assumption the U.S. will see an 'influx of visitors' from foreign countries to fill stadiums and hotels. Philadelphia projects the six matches it hosts next summer will draw 500,000 visitors who will fill more than 100,000 hotel rooms and drive $305 million in direct tourism spending and $770 million in total economic impact, Meg Kane, chief executive of Philadelphia's World Cup organizing committee, told Forbes. Kansas City is also hosting six matches—four group stage matches, a round of 32, and then a quarter final, 'which is really important from both a tourism standpoint and a global visibility standpoint,' Pam Kramer, chief executive officer of KC2026, the nonprofit organization leading the city's World Cup planning, told Forbes. Kramer said Kansas City is expecting to draw 650,000 visitors over the course of the tournament and an estimated $653 million in direct event impact. The other nine U.S.-based World Cup host cities are: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle.
Based on FIFA guidance, host cities like Philadelphia and Kansas City are expecting a 50/50 split between domestic and international travelers. Before speaking with Forbes, neither Kane nor Kramer was aware the government was mulling an expansion of the travel ban, but both stressed the importance of staying nimble in an uncertain environment. Kane said her organization's job is to provide a terrific World Cup experience 'to however many fans come' to Philadelphia. 'We really focus on that, because the fact is that there is always a level of international uncertainty that comes with hosting any major international sporting event. There are geopolitical issues that we cannot see around the corner that may impact the tournament in 2026.' Kramer said her team in Kansas City is used to 'operating with a high degree of uncertainty in general,' adding that the tournament is still a year away. 'A year is, well, it feels very short. But it's also quite a bit of time when you think about it from a global perspective.'
The U.S. Travel Association (USTA) was thrilled when President Trump created a White House task force for FIFA World Cup 2026 in March, saying the tournament could draw millions of visitors 'if we build the right processes.' But some tourism experts say the Trump administration has damaged the U.S. brand with unwelcoming messaging and policies, particularly President Trump's tariffs, imperialistic rhetoric and viral headlines of foreigners with legal tourist visas and green cards being detained by U.S. immigration officials. Those factors are 'stacking up as significant hurdles for the U.S. travel industry' and 'setting international travel back several years,' Adam Sacks, president of Tourism Economics, a nonpartisan Oxford Economics company tracking tourism statistics, told Forbes in March. Since Trump took office, the U.S. has seen a dramatic downturn in inbound international tourism, with a projected 8.7% drop in U.S. international arrivals for 2025, according to the latest forecast from Tourism Economics. Visits from Canada (-20.2%) and Western Europe (-5.8%) show the sharpest declines.
$3.6 billion. That's the estimated economic boost to World Cup host cities' economies generated by guests staying at Airbnb properties during the tournament next summer, according to company projections.
0.5%. That's the portion of annual inbound visitors to the U.S. coming from countries currently affected by the recent policy announcement, according to the USTA. 'We are focused on driving millions of new visitors and strengthening our economy by solving longtime shortcomings with visas, customs, and an outdated air traffic control system. America's 250th birthday, the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympic Games present America with a unique opportunity to cement itself as the global travel destination of choice,' a USTA spokesperson told Forbes via email.
Athletes playing on teams representing countries on the banned list will get a carve out. According to President Trump's June 4 executive order, the travel ban includes an exception for 'any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State.' The directive notes that exceptions are at the discretion of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has yet to provide a full list of sports events that qualify.
Some Sports Events Will Escape Trump Travel Ban—But Only Marco Rubio Gets To Decide (Forbes)