Football fans the world over have four more years to wait until the next World Cup, which will be jointly hosted across Morocco, Portugal and Spain. And like a rolling soccer ball, the hotel industry doesn’t stop.
The 2026 edition was a hit on the field and mostly the same for hotels, according to data, which points to overall softer occupancy during match weeks, but a result of higher rates. The upshot: RevPAR increases across all host cities.
European hoteliers are gearing up for 2030; in the meantime, a slew of events are poised to impact hotel demand, according to new data from Amadeus.
Consider Madrid, which this month hosts both a Formula 1 event, September 11-13, and Shakira’s 12-date residency, September 18 through October 11. Both events are poised to pump up air bookings and increase hotel stays: Amadeus estimates a 28% year-on-year increase in domestic air bookings and a 4% increase in international air bookings.
The same air data shows that short stays are up a predicted 10% year on year, with stays of five days and under now making up 37% of bookings; suggesting opportunities for hotels to offer perks and incentives to encourage longer stays.
As the only Spanish city on Shakira’s tour, Madrid is attracting fans from across the country. Domestic bookings within Spain to the capital for 18th of September to 4th of October, covering the first nine nights of the residency, are up a predicted 35% year on year while international bookings are up by 5%. Barcelona leads domestic inbound bookings to Madrid with growth of 128%, now making up a total of 12% of domestic bookings.
The Spanish Grand Prix is also contributing to increased air travel during the month of September. From the 9th to 13th September when the race is on, top inbound markets which have seen the biggest growth in bookings to Madrid from 2025 are the United Kingdom, up 46% year on year, South Korea, up 45%, France, up 32%, and Uruguay, up 31%.
“Madrid is set for an exciting September, with major events such as the Spanish Grand Prix and Shakira’s world tour expected to be driving additional travel demand. For hoteliers, these moments are an opportunity to think beyond simply filling rooms, from tailoring packages around event dates and extending stays, to anticipating when fans will book and what they’ll want from their stay. The hotels and destinations that tune into these patterns using data could turn the busy event calendar into a real commercial opportunity,” said Javier Campo, head of Europe, Middle East and Africa, hospitality, Amadeus.
International arrivals are helping. Japan leads the way with bookings to Madrid up a predicted 80% year on year, followed by Canada with 30% growth and the Netherlands and Mexico at +25%.
In terms of hotel data, Amadeus’ Demand360 shows hotel occupancy standing at 48% for the week of the 6th of September to the week of the 27th of September. ADR has increased by 25% on the same period last year to $413. The week of the 13th, when both events overlap, shows the highest occupancy at 52% with an ADR of $411.
The data also show that many families and groups are traveling during these dates. Booking forecasts for groups of six or more are up 30%, making up 7% of all bookings for the window.
The air data reveals that medium-length stays of six to 13 nights are making up an estimated 39% of bookings around the race week. With a notable number of travelers headed from the Americas, a significant share of visitors appears to be building the Grand Prix into a longer trip, though shorter stays still make up a notable 34% of bookings.
Amadeus points out that the opportunity for hoteliers exist to to tailor digital campaigns, packages and distribution partnerships to international markets showing high demand, while DMOs can build on momentum with targeted content that encourages visitors to explore more of the city and stay beyond the race.