- HANYC launched an ad campaign and website ahead of the World Cup.
- It calls for capturing economic potential amid headwinds.
- Ads will run on social media, streaming platforms and the web.
THE HOTEL ASSOCAITION of New York launched an ad campaign and website highlighting New York hotels’ need to capture the FIFA World Cup’s economic potential. The ads will run on social media, streaming platforms and the web, with an initial $500,000 buy.
The city’s ability to capture full economic benefits from the upcoming World Cup depends on attracting visitors to stay in city hotels, HANYC said in a statement. However, slow revenue growth, high operating costs, tariffs and federal policies limiting tourism threaten the livelihoods of more than 40,000 hotel workers—most of whom are immigrants and unionized—and billions in economic activity.
The Save New York hotels campaign aims to inform decision makers about the hotel industry’s state and its importance to workers and New York ahead of the World Cup.
“If the city is to maximize the economic benefits of the upcoming World Cup, hotels must attract more visitors to fill rooms,” said Vijay Dandapani, HANYC president and CEO. “Hotels are under significant pressure and need relief to offset industry challenges. Supporting hotels means supporting the tens of thousands of workers they employ and the wider tourism sector that drives New York City’s economy.”
The Iran war led to a 10 to 15 percent drop in business, particularly from international guests who spend on average four times more than domestic travelers, HANYC said. These pressures have already reduced hotels’ pre-pandemic workforce by 24 percent and now put at risk the 388,000 tourism jobs supported by hotels, the $79 billion in economic impact they generate and $6.8 billion in annual tax revenue for city services.
The association said, citing CoStar data, that these headwinds are already visible in lower demand ahead of the World Cup. Hotel bookings for the tournament period are below last year’s levels and FIFA is reducing hotel room blocks due to weaker-than-expected demand.
Despite these pressures, city hotels offer some of the highest wages in the industry and strong benefits. Room attendants earn about $73,000 in starting salary before tips, overtime and additional pay, while experienced room attendants earn well over $100,000, excluding benefits and pensions. Dining room and room service servers often earn over $200,000 in gross annual salary.
Dandapani recently testified before the City Council Economic Development Committee on the World Cup and raised concerns and also wrote an op-ed in the Daily News making the same points.
Separately, a recent report by the U.S. Travel Association found that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will bring economic gains to communities across the United States. However, safety concerns, policy perceptions and entry barriers may limit the country’s ability to fully capitalize on the opportunity.
