Seattle Is Expecting a World Cup and Tourism Boom And Every Sign Points to Bust

Added: 2026-05-05

[00:00:00]So Seattle seems to think that being close to Vancouver is going to benefit them when it comes to the World Cup. And they seem to think that the tourism industry in the United States is going to make a complete 180 because of this event. I mean, the meme that actually comes to my mind when I hear all this is this one. Completely out of touch with reality right now. So I'm going to go over this report that talks about how Vancouver and Seattle are going to work together. I also have another report that shows Seattle's over ambitious thoughts when it comes to tourism, not just about the FIFA World Cup. But to be fair, there are some people in the US government that actually see what's going on. But it's just too bad that nothing's going to be done about it. But hey, I think the rest of us in the world have a lot of other places we can go to instead. So, we're going to talk about this in today's video. And if this is the first time you're clicking on one of my videos and you want to hear more from a Canadian and international perspective without the US media bias, hit that subscribe button below so you're notified on my future videos. And if you hear a cat, it's mine. It's not yours.

[00:00:51]So, don't go searching around your house for your own cat. All right, let's get started on the first report. Just under two months from now, millions of soccer fans will pack cities across the United States, Mexico, and Canada to see their favorite countries compete in the FIFA World Cup. And while some of these host cities are thousands of miles apart, others like Seattle and Vancouver are more like neighbors.

[00:01:14]>> Now, this is the first time you're watching my video. This one kind of hits home for me because I am from Vancouver, born and raised, but currently living overseas in Malaysia for work. But when I hear that Seattle is our neighbor, yes, physically they might be our next door neighbor. I mean, it only takes what, an hour and a half, hour 45 minutes to get there. But in my opinion, in my view only, they're no longer our friend. And I know some people are going to argue me and say they were never our friends to begin with, which is a fair point. And I'm sure I'm not the only person from Vancouver feeling this. And it's probably the same right across the country, depending on what your border, closest border state is and border town is.

[00:01:44]>> Fox's Amalia Roy is live north of the border tonight. So Amalia, how are Vancouver and Seattle actually working together on this?

[00:01:54]Good evening, Kelsey Simone. The biggest way is in transportation because if anyone chooses to go to either games in Seattle or Vancouver, they are so close that they really can pop over into the other country, whether it's to go to another game or just to visit.

[00:02:11]>> You know, I would have said in 2024 earlier, it'd be easy just to hop over, but it's no longer like that. And what they're doing right now is they're arranging transportation between Vancouver and Seattle and back and well, back and forth, I guess. And you know, let's say, for example, if I was back in Vancouver and I did have FIFA tickets, I would only be buying tickets for Vancouver. I would not be buying for Seattle. And for anybody flying into Vancouver, I mean, I'm assuming a lot of people are going to be choosing Canada over the United States because of the border restrictions and, you know, safety issues and whatever else. So, the question is, do you think people are really going to utilize this transportation setup that they're doing?

[00:02:44]Now, I'm not saying nobody's going to utilize it. There's going to be some people, you know, diehard fans that are going to go, and these people don't care about what's going on in the border and and things like that. they're just going to go. But not once in these two reports that I'm going to show you about Seattle do they even mention anything about the border or the issues that people have or the detainments or being pulled into secondary. It's just completely ignoring the big factor that's overhanging right now. So, they're really highlighting just how easy it is to travel. I'm standing in front of probably what is the funnest, most scenic, and quickest way to get between the two. It's coming from Cole Harbor going all the way to Lake Union in Seattle. You have these sea planes here and they are taking off constantly. I don't know if you can see that there is one that is just landing in the background over there. We're seeing people crowding in. But I took to the highways. I timed out just how long it would take to get from stadium to stadium. Seattle is expecting around 750,000 people to visit the city and region during the sixe tournament.

[00:03:44]>> Now, do you think that's a reasonable expectation right now? I mean, hell, I don't even know if Vancouver and Toronto are going to meet their expectations. We already know that hotel rooms and third party operators are not meeting what they expected. So, in my opinion, I think those numbers that they just listed out are a little bit too uh what's the word? Confident.

[00:04:01]>> The local FIFA organizing committees mapping out routes on the city's robust transportation system so visitors can discover iconic Seattle sites like the Pike Place Market and hidden gems like the Northwest African-American Museum.

[00:04:15]The soccer is going to be fantastic, but what we are really interested in is proving that it's possible to bring an event of this magnitude to our community and then have the local community benefit from that.

[00:04:27]>> Then when soccer fans are finished in Seattle, they can also pop over to Canada for a game in Vancouver.

[00:04:34]>> Okay, let me let me rephrase this. I mean, if people are coming from Seattle into Vancouver, I have no problems with that. If you want to spend your money in Canada, go for it. We welcome it and we won't arrest you at the border or search your phones or detain you for like a couple hours for no reason because of your skin color or take your DNA. What else is there? I'm sure I'm missing other stuff. But anyways, I wouldn't expect the same amount of traffic going from Vancouver to Seattle. So, if this whole transportation like setup that they're doing only benefits Vancouver, I say let's do it.

[00:05:02]>> There's a train going straight from the Seattle Stadium. But I drove, timing my journey from the stadium up to the northern border through to Vancouver, ending my journey at BC Place. It took about 3 and 1/2 hours.

[00:05:17]>> Seriously, how slow are you driving? If you're going from the core of Vancouver to the core of Seattle, I can see maybe what two two maybe two and a half hours max. Nowhere in North America do we have two cities closer together than Vancouver and Seattle. So together there's going to be 13 games and the organizing committees are in touch really on a daily basis.

[00:05:36]>> US Council General Sean Crowley says this entire region already has a close economic relationship but the World Cup will give these two cities a unique opportunity to work together on a global event.

[00:05:49]>> It'll show the crossber relationship that's been there for so long which is now dead. And no matter what any committee does or whatever they set up, it's really up to the people whether or not they want to utilize it. This might actually be a case of if you build it, they will come. But this time, they might actually not show up.

[00:06:05]>> We mentioned the economics before. There are billions of dollars in trade that go across the border every day.

[00:06:11]>> Destination British Columbia says they're excited to show tourists all of the beautiful nature around the province. And they're working with their Washington counterparts to promote vacation packages, including both places.

[00:06:23]>> The two nation vacation, we're calling it two countries, one journey. And there's some itineraries on the website.

[00:06:29]two countries, one journey. People can really see what there is to do between Washington and British Columbia.

[00:06:35]>> Now, I don't really know how I feel about destination BC promoting places in Washington state, but it is what it is.

[00:06:41]It's really up to the people on whether or not they want to entertain these offers or not.

[00:06:47]>> The consular general also reminded me that yes, Seattle, Vancouver, they are neighbors, but they are also separate countries. Reminded everyone to just be up to date on each country's laws. in Vancouver, Canada. Amalia Roy, Fox 9.

[00:07:00]>> Ah, thanks Amalia. It looks so beautiful there.

[00:07:03]>> Jealous.

[00:07:04]>> Very jealous. That's what we just keep looking at the scenery behind her.

[00:07:08]Thanks, Amalia.

[00:07:09]>> Yep, Vancouver does have some of the best scenery in the world. Not many places around the world where you can go skiing in the morning and then have a golf tea time in the afternoon. I do admit I'm starting to get a little bit homesick, which is why I was really eager to show this report. But the main takeaway from this report is that no matter what kind of packages or promos that the tourism committees on both sides decide to create and magically build, my gut feeling is telling me that not a lot of these packages are going to be sold. Let me know in the comments if you agree with me on this or not. And if I'm wrong, tell me why. Now, moving on to the next report. This one's still out of Seattle. And this report gives you the feeling that Seattle is hyped for everything that's going to be coming up.

[00:07:45]But to me, it's just a little bit cringe. Let's take a look.

[00:07:49]The 2026 FIFA World Cup is less than two months away. Seattle's hotels are hoping for an influx of people from around the world, but there are some concerns about global instability and rising cost. Fox 13's Dan Griffin shows us how hotels are preparing for this summer's soccer fans.

[00:08:07]>> For hotels in Seattle and around the Puet Sound region, this summer has the potential to be big. They just want to make sure visitors know they're here and ready.

[00:08:16]They're here and ready to be disappointed. You know what this feels like? It feels like they're setting up for a big birthday party and you see those stories online when like, you know, a kid's birthday party, everything gets set up and nobody shows up and everyone feels sorry for the kid. But this is kind of like the opposite. When nobody shows up to this birthday party and the United States has wasted so much money on their promos, their marketing, and everything else, I think a lot of people are going to be laughing inside.

[00:08:41]At least the people outside of the US.

[00:08:45]We started booking up for this in September October 2025.

[00:08:52]>> At the Hotel Crocodile in Belltown, entertainment is steps away with live music and performances just downstairs.

[00:08:59]That's why general manager Ta Zubia feels especially ready for 2026 FIFA World Cup fans.

[00:09:05]>> They're coming in. They know what's up.

[00:09:07]They've done their research.

[00:09:08]>> Now, I'm not doubting that there's going to be domestic tourists coming into her hotel. I mean, that's probably where they are coming from right now.

[00:09:15]But just think about how much money is being left on the table right now because your government decided to scrutinize all international travel into your into your country. Can you please stop biting my toe? Stop it.

[00:09:25]>> In its annual meeting last month, Visit Seattle revised its economic impact for the 2026 FIFA World Cup from $929 million down to $845 million. Leaders noted hotel bookings were lagging, but with optimism. In Qar, which I recognize is different for many reasons, 83% of bookings were inside of 60 days and an astounding 47% were inside of 6 days. Now, is that a fair benchmark? I mean, comparing Qatar to the United States, sure, Qatar has its own issues, but they're not detaining people at their border.

[00:10:00]They're not pulling them into secondary.

[00:10:02]They're not asking you for your DNA.

[00:10:04]They're not screening your social media, searching your phones, and quite frankly, treating everybody like criminals. And most of all, they're not pissing off the rest of the world and bombing other countries and starting wars that are not necessary. So to me, this kind of feels like comparing to CO.

[00:10:17]Whenever any tourism official says, you know, CO was just as bad, but we recovered from that. This is not the same situation as CO. You know what? I think I'm going to save this clip. I want to see how it turns out after the FIFA World Cup. See if it aged like milk in the desert.

[00:10:32]Still, rising costs, global instability, jet fuel prices, and canceled flights are all concerns. Some reports show host cities worry the economic benefits won't materialize. FIFA officials say it reduced the number of hotel rooms it had on hold as attendance numbers became more concrete. But they say ticket demand is unprecedented. And it's not just Seattle. The Puallup Tribe and cities like Tacoma and Belleview are preparing to host fans, too. Despite the shifting economic outlook, the region has its eyes on the prize.

[00:11:01]>> So, we're ready, prepared, very excited.

[00:11:04]Hotels say they're preparing for the influx of fans and cruise passengers alike. We checked online for hotel prices for the first match. Those are between about $400 and more than $1,000 a night. Seriously, $1,000 a night? All I have to say to that is good luck selling those rooms for $1,000 a night.

[00:11:22]I mean, it's just pure greed if you ask me. I mean, there's no reason to sell it for $1,000 a night only because there's an event in town. But I guess that's supply and demand. And I hope like hell there is no demand for it. Now, this next clip I want to show you is from a hearing in the United States somewhere.

[00:11:36]I don't know how this works, but it's just a bunch of you sent this over to me, and it kind of shows how oblivious the right is when it comes to their own tourism industry. And fair warning, there's a lot of asskissing when it comes to the orange guy on this one >> because the report that was released in March of 2025 projected that international tourism in the United States would increase 6.5% in 2025 and another 10% in 2026. And that did not happen in 2025, did it?

[00:12:07]>> That did not happen. One of the reason we're so excited about the mega events heading to the United States is because weary expecting a very strong 10-year record of travel and tourism.

[00:12:17]>> I'm just Yes.

[00:12:18]>> Just please just answer the question.

[00:12:20]>> Okay, I'm going to go off on a bit of a tangent here, but what the hell is the point of all these hearings? I mean, nobody at the hearings ever answers the questions and nobody ever tells the truth. I mean, at any of these hearings that I normally stumble across and watch, the person speaking usually asks like a yes or no question and it's easy, yes or no. And the person being uh questioned will answer like a completely different answer. Like if somebody's asking an apples or orange question like is it apples or is it orange? And the person will respond the Dow is over 50,000 right now. Like what does that have to do with anything? I don't know.

[00:12:52]Sorry, I'm just venting right now because I see these hearings as being completely useless to be honest.

[00:12:56]>> So you you I don't mean you personally, but the department projected a 6 and a half% increase in tourism in 2025. That did not happen, did it?

[00:13:06]Correct.

[00:13:07]>> Okay. In fact, I have a chart here that we asked the Congressional Service, Congressional Research Service to uh put together based on the Department of Commerce numbers. In other words, we took your numbers and this is the chart.

[00:13:22]And if you look at June 2024 through December 24, you can see the international these are actual this is not projected. You all projected 6% increase. This is actual. You can see what they were and then you can see starting right in this period they start going down. In other words, right after the president was sworn in. And you can see, I don't know what that one little blue thing, but you can see a steady decline. I mean, not even close to 6%.

[00:13:54]Negative.

[00:13:57]So, can you understand why many of us are concerned that statements and actions by the administration are going to depress what we hope will be a good amount of tourists coming here for the World Cup? Can you understand that concern given these numbers and the wrong projections? Now, I don't know who this guy is, Senator Van Holland. I I don't know which state he represents, but what he showed right now is legit data. And we all know that red on his paper started when the orange guy took office. Now, this next guy, I want you to hear his response and the gaslighting and the that comes out of his mouth.

[00:14:30]>> Well, Senator, I think you'll be happy to know we had a 3.5 increase in March, and I would expect that we will continue to see growth uh over the next over the next decade. This is really an amazing opportunity for the travel and tourism industry with these with these major events that are coming in with the World Cup, with Olympics, with the Parolympics. So, I don't think there's ever been a a time, and generally speaking, this administration has made travel a very strong priority.

[00:14:56]>> You mean travel to a detention center or to El Salvador? I don't know. What do you I don't know what this guy's talking about.

[00:15:02]>> One of the president's first uh activities actually as president-elect back in 2016. He expended his political capital to go out and win the uh Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Two years later, he asked his son-in-law, Jerry Kushner, to go over and he won the FIFA World Cup for the United States. and he also won co-hosted with Mexico and Canada.

[00:15:21]>> So Jared Kushner helped to arrange FIFA in North America. Do you think the Orange Guy family got any sort of kickback for this? Gee, I wonder. So this is a president who through his actions has made it very clear that he prioritizes travel and tourism. And I think generally speaking, if you look at his private sector career, there's never been a president who's created more private sector jobs for travel and tourism.

[00:15:43]>> All right, I'm going to stop it here. I I don't know how much more of this I can take, but I wanted to show this everyone because it shows the clear delusional side that anyone that supports the orange guy is going through right now. They think everything is fine. You know, tourism is going great and even their supporters are saying they don't need people from Canada. And this type of delusion also tells me that they don't actually appreciate anyone that comes to their country. So, for anyone that has a little bit of sympathy for the United States for what they're going through right now, just watch this guy along with the 77 million who also voted for the idiot to go in the office.

[00:16:12]To close off this video, I would like to thank Bon 99969 from our Discord server for posting this photo of Lake Liskar in Tilsenberg, Ontario. Unfortunately, I had to crop the photo because it was done in portrait mode, but but hopefully it turns out on everyone's screens because unfortunately, I had to cut off a lot of the sky, which looked amazing.

[00:16:29]So, for anyone sending me photos in the future, please make sure that the photo is in landscape mode or landscape portrait, no, landscape orientation. So, I want to thank you again, Bon, for posting this in the Discord server. All right, that's all I got for this video.

[00:16:41]If you found any value in anything I said today, or you want to hear more from a Canadian and international perspective without the US media bias, make sure you hit that like and subscribe button below. That way, you'll be notified of my future videos. And if you want to see more of my videos, check out the ones that will show up on your screen shortly. Thanks everyone. I'll catch you in the next one.