By David Del Valle
Published on •Updated
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is shaping up to be one of the biggest drivers of tourism in North America. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) expects the tournament to give a significant boost to the tourism GDP of Canada, Mexico and the United States, cementing the region’s status as one of the world’s leading tourism hubs.
According to the council’s estimates, Canada will see the strongest tourism growth, with a 6.4% increase in sector GDP, while Mexico is set to expand by 2.4% and the US by 2.1%.
The WTTC sees the World Cup as a “strategic opportunity” to reinforce long-term tourism growth through greater air connectivity, more integrated experiences for travellers and closer cross-border cooperation between the three host countries.
“It is a unique opportunity for North America to accelerate tourism growth, strengthen connectivity and showcase the region to millions of travellers around the world,” says Gloria Guevara, President and CEO of the WTTC.
The WTTC warns of the need to maintain investment in aviation, tourism infrastructure, digital innovation and more streamlined entry processes to sustain the region’s international competitiveness.
Mexico, the region’s tourism leader
Of the three countries in the region, Mexico led North America’s tourism growth in 2025, according to data from the recent 2026 Economic Impact Report (EIR) produced by the WTTC. It outperformed the US and Canada on the main sector indicators, with tourism GDP expanding by 1.8%, compared with 0.9% in the US and 1.2% in Canada.
Mexico also recorded the highest international visitor spending, with an increase of 3.5%, while in the US and Canada it fell by 4.6% and 3.5% respectively.
International arrivals also rose sharply in Mexico, increasing by 6.1%, in contrast with declines of 5.5% in the US and 0.6% in Canada.
The WTTC further estimates that the travel and tourism sector will support 30.9 million jobs in North America in 2026, equivalent to 12.7% of total employment in the region.
At global level, the council expects tourism to contribute 12 trillion dollars to the world economy in 2026, close to 10% of global GDP, and to sustain 376 million jobs.
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