Hotel Lodging Association – FIFA World Cup™ Economic Impact for Kansas City in June 2026

By Donald Swartz, President

Kansas City recently announced three countries will call our metro area “home” during the FIFA World Cup this summer. These three countries, Argentina, England and the Netherlands, will bring thousands of fans to our city during the month of June as well as thousands more to experience the World Cup activities across North America. Additionally, it is quite possible we will have a fourth country, Algeria, that may create a base camp only 40 minutes away in Lawrence, KS.

Economic Impact

There have been estimates and various predictions of the economic impact affecting the area. Imagine a metropolitan area of 2.2 million people increasing to over 2.8 million for a 30-day period.

Charles Young and I recently attended the Hotel & Lodging Association of Greater Kansas City annual meeting. While there was excitement and emphasis placed upon the increase in potential revenue, there were also several speakers brought in to address issues most of us have not considered.

For example, the Kansas City Police Department is recruiting officers from a 200-mile radius to assist in the policing of the area during the World Cup. The goal (no pun intended) is to double the number of active-duty officers over the month of June from 2,000+ to 4,000+ officers. Additionally, training is being offered to help understand the differences between passion, exhilaration and national pride with rowdiness, loitering and troublemaking. What is the economic “cost” of providing these services?

From our perspective, what will the high occupancy rates and inflated room rates do to property tax values? It is anticipated room revenues for 2026 will be higher than any year since well before the Pandemic. Average Daily Rates and occupancy levels may hit all time highs over the summer months with revenues (and profits) soaring.

Does this increase the value of the real estate for property tax purposes? Can we isolate these revenues as “one-offs”? Will the visibility the metro area receives during the World Cup translate to increased tourism in future years (also resulting in a boost to the hospitality industry)? All factors that owners and managers need to consider when reviewing their annual property tax statements.

I am excited to see how the greater Kansas City area responds as it hosts its largest event in history, but I’m also anxious to see how the area county assessors will respond to try to “level” the playing field – Pun Intended!

Learn more about the impact that the FIFA World Cup will have on Kansas City here:
KC2026 Hits Its Stride: Smallest Host City Sets High Standard for FIFA World Cup™ Readiness

Swartz + Associates, Inc. (SAI) is a full service property tax firm specializing in the review, analysis and appeals of real and business personal property tax valuations. If you need help with your property taxes, give us a call!