With FIFA World Cup 2026 expected to disrupt planned business travel by increasing hotel rates and airfares and limiting availability, FCM is urging businesses to treat major global events as planned disruptions.
“Fan travel will create rolling spikes as matches move between regions, complicating air, hotel, and ground capacity planning. This is not unusual for mega events, but it does require forward planning where possible,” said Mummy Mafojane, GM of FCM South Africa.
There is plenty of data on major events bringing severe price shocks. During the 2024 Paris Olympics, average hotel rates jumped from around €200-€300 (R3 835-R5 755) per night to over €700 (R13 425).
During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Cape Town hotel revenue per available room jumped about 220%, while Sandton hotels’ room revenue surged close to 300% over the previous year.
FCM outlines practical steps to avoid being caught out when demand surges during major events.
Secure inventory early
- Lock in key cities now, using historical big-event data as your guide.
- Pre-book around high-risk dates – match days and knockout stages – on flexible fares where possible.
Use corporate contracts, not public channels
- Corporate hotel programmes can cap or smooth average daily rates and secure last-room availability in priority properties when public sites show zero inventory.
- Your TMC can also negotiate deals in secondary or airport-adjacent hotels that are less exposed to fan traffic but still practical for business meetings.
Consolidate, don’t fragment
- Centralise bookings through agreed booking platforms instead of letting travellers go rogue, which exposes them to inflated event‑driven pricing and rigid minimum‑stay rules.
- Cluster regional meetings and site visits into a single journey instead of multiple separate trips.
Remain open-minded to flexibility
- When mega-event host cities are at capacity, flexibility becomes the main cost lever. Consider nearby hubs and secondary cities with strong transport links and design ground transfers from there.
- Shifting dates by even one or two days can make a major difference – chat to travellers about being more adaptable over busy periods.
