KC’s World Cup Hospitality Is Changing the Tourism Narrative for the Country

By all accounts, Kansas Citians are showing up for the World Cup festivities. From celebrations with international visitors to jamming and jumping at FIFA Fan Festival, we’re all in. But there’s more going on in this global tournament that is waking up the country to a deeper truth about Kansas City and the 2026 World Cup.

On Facebook, users in a KC World Cup group—aimed at connecting visitors and locals—rave about the fun that Kansas Citians are having mingling with international visitors. “I never expected the World Cup to affect me the way it has,” wrote Krystal Williams, event manager at Indian Hills Country Club. “Before all of the fans arrived, it was just another sporting event to me. But watching videos of people from all over the world filling our streets with joy, celebration, laughter and pride has brought me to tears more than once.”

Nationally, there’s a broader narrative coming together about the metro’s relationship with international visitors. The Guardian reported that the English players base-camping in Prairie Village have felt “coloured by the charm and friendliness of the Midwest.” In Lawrence, the New York Times reported that locals have “adopted” the Algerian team base-camping in the college town, welcoming “them as one of their own.” ESPN hailed KC as the “base-camp capital of the World Cup” for harnessing “a thick layer of Midwestern hospitality.”

Over and above all of this positive national news banter is a serious economic issue that Kansas City appears to have a hand in fixing—the tourism industry. 

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA), international arrivals to the United States in 2025 decreased 5.5% when compared to the previous year. Geoff Freeman—CEO of the U.S. Travel Association—testified before the House Homeland Security Committee on April 8, 2025 that the nation was losing its status as a top global tourist destination.

Earlier this month on June 16, Freeman was also a speaker at a World Cup panel event hosted by Visit KC. “The energy in Kansas City is electric,” Freeman said. “The media that’s coming here to follow these games is writing stories that will pay dividends for years to come for Kansas City and it couldn’t come at a more important time. The truth is, the country has taken a step backwards when it comes to welcoming international travelers. In fact, we’re the only country in the world last year to see a decline in international travel. If we’re going to change that trend, we have to showcase America in a new way. That’s exactly what I see happening around the country, and especially happening right here in Kansas City.”

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