High ticket prices and new levels of inhospitable hosting has put a pall over the expected tourism surge for the World Cup games in the United States, and has sent prices dropping sharply in the major metropolitan areas that had been gearing up for the games and the guests. Following the reveal of the schedule in December, prices across 96 hotels in the 16 markets that will host games were charging $1,013 per night around the opening match in their city, well above the $293 average for the equivalent stay three weeks earlier in May and an average price gouge of 328 percent. Well, four months on, prices for those dates have dropped sharply. While still much higher than normal, the average rate was down 40 percent to $579 per night across the hotels in the sample, which aligns with reports that hotels have actually not logged the expected surge in visitors.
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