The second match the Mexican national team will play in Guadalajara, during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, will bring around one million tourists to the metropolitan area, who will arrive without a hotel room, according to projections from the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVBO).
“Our national team’s second match will be part of the first phase and will be held in Guadalajara. How many people are we estimating? 50,000 people inside the stadium and 950,000 people outside the stadium, during our Fan Fest in our city,” said CVBO director Gustavo Staufert Buclon.
He explained that the first phase matches are the ones that attract the largest concentration of people and where people spend the most money.
“We know that Mexico City, being the country’s capital, was overwhelmed in both the 1970 World Cup and the 1986 World Cup; those of us who are a little older will remember that they parked their cars on the Periférico and people walked,” he shared.
“Believe me, we’re going to have a month of occupancy that we won’t forget, and that second game is going to bring us around a million tourists who will arrive in Guadalajara without hotel rooms,” Staufert emphasized.
“Our hotels are going to be full, without a doubt; it’s going to be a very interesting couple of months because, in addition, a month before the World Cup, we have the World Congress on Large Dams, and the issue of water in cities worldwide will be discussed a month before that,” the OFVC director emphasized.
Hotel infrastructure will grow
For his part, Bernardo Aguilar, president of the Jalisco Hotel Association, indicated that 24 new hotels will arrive in Guadalajara between 2025 and 2028, representing an increase of 3,000 new rooms, adding to the current 31,000 hotel offerings.
“By 2026, for the World Cup, six to seven hotels with around 916 rooms are expected to open. The fact that such a large investment is coming, and that we are preparing for this fair (Mexico Hospitality Expo), is a good time to prepare for the World Cup… The Vice President of Operations comes from the Marriott International chain, for example. Marriott is a very important player in the organization of several international events such as the World Cup,” said Aguilar Martínez.
Source: eleconomista
