World Cup Reverses Slump in International Demand for Short-Term Rentals

The 2026 World Cup has boosted the international demand for short-term rentals (STRs) in North American host cities, reversing a long-running decline in foreign visitors.After 13 consecutive months of year-over-year declines, international demand spiked 9.4% in June during the World Cup group stages, according to AirDNA, the leading provider of STR data and analytics.That growth rate normalized in July, edging up just 0.7% year over year—although that's much improved from the 9.8% annual decline recorded in July 2025.It’s been just about a month since Spain defeated defending champion Argentina 1-0 at MetLife Stadium on July 19. And since then, AirDNA says World Cup host cities saw strong gains in vacation rental revenue.Across the 16 host cities, short-term rentals generated $1.33 billion in total revenue during the tournament window—$276.7 million more than the prior year, according to AirDNA data.The global sports spectacle provided a massive shot in the arm for cross-border travel across North America, reversing a multimonth slump in international demand for vacation rentals, as detailed in AirDNA's new July 2026 U.S. Short-Term Rental Review.“While soccer fans certainly led th...