The champion of the FIFA World Cup is still to be determined. But the real winners may be the destinations that find the spotlight during the matches.
Though it's too early to quantify how the interest from viral moments and the competition's buzz will translate to bookings, tour operators and destination marketing organizations are optimistic that the hype will lead travelers to destinations prominently featured in the contest.
Take Scotland, for example. It didn't make it to the knockout rounds, but the Internet fell in love with its Tartan Army -- the name of supporters of the national football team -- after the passionate fans descended on Boston.
VisitScotland quickly capitalized on the momentum: The DMO updated its home page to include a World Cup-inspired message. "Did we catch your eye during the 2026 World Cup?" It read. "It may have taken us 28 years to secure a win, but you don't need to wait that long to book a fantastic holiday to Scotland, with our breathtaking landscapes, unmissable events and friendly Scots."
Jill Walker, the VisitScotland director of marketing, said it wants the playful message to inspire more travelers to visit the country. The Union of European Football Associations' European Championship was held in Germany in 2024, and Walker said it led to "many more visitors traveling to Scotland from Germany."
Norway's fans have also gone viral for their Viking row, where they sit shoulder to shoulder and rock back and forth in unison to mimic rowing. Cruise line Viking posted a video with its crew doing the same on one of its Viking ships, with founder Torstein Hagen leading the chant.
Visit Norway posted an explainer about the row and invited potential travelers to visit to do so in an actual boat in Norway. Aase Marthe J. Horrigmo, the director of Tourism in Innovation Norway & Visit Norway, called the attention generated by the Viking row "incredibly valuable."
"When millions of people around the world see and talk about Norway in a positive way, it helps strengthen awareness of our country and the Norway brand," she said.
Though Horrigmo said it was too soon to see a measurable tourism impact, searches related to Viking content on the DMO's channels have seen an uptick of about 80%, showing how the viral moment has sparked curiosity.
Jason Gewirtz, a longtime editor at SportsTravel and the senior vice president/content, meetings and sports for Northstar Travel Group (Travel Weekly's parent company), said that sporting events often serve as the inspiration to travel -- and the World Cup was no exception.
"We know that sports drive people to travel for events, but sometimes the exposure of the event itself can cause people to think about destinations in ways they never did previously," he said. "The fans from Scotland and Norway in particular gained incredible exposure and interest, and it's not a stretch to think people will want to learn about both destinations as a result."
Kicks to clicks
Smaller nations that qualified for the tournament also appear to be benefitting from the attention. Expedia found that Cape Verde saw a 750% increase in searches for lodging on its U.S., Canada and Mexico sites from June 11 to 29 compared with the same period last year, and Japan, whose fans have found Internet fame for cleaning up after themselves after matches, saw a 100% jump in searches. Morocco was up by 50%, it said.
Sandals Royal Curacao has seen a 50% increase in website traffic since the tournament started, with Curacao match days giving the website a boost in searches, said general manager Jeffrey Speelman.
And let's not forget Central and South America, where Ecuador, Paraguay, Colombia, Brazil and defending champ Argentina all made it to the Round of 32. The World Cup is leading to a "significant spike" in demand for the region for Audley Travel customers, said product manager Lauren Coppola.
Argentina is benefitting from buzz over superstar Lionel Messi, Coppola said.
The bespoke tour operator is observing increased interest in destinations that have qualified for the competition, especially if they've gone viral, like Norway or Scotland. Croatia, she said, is seeing "a little bit of shine."
Coppola also linked interest to destinations where Americans have personal history; for example, she said, many Americans with Scottish heritage have already hoped to explore that connection, but the World Cup is giving them the push they need to make the trip.
"It might not seem obvious at first," Coppola said, but the tie-in between the World Cup and personal history actually "go hand-in-hand. What we're seeing is for clients, this sparks passion for destinations they have history with."
Classic Vacations is anticipating a World Cup-inspired boost, said CEO Melissa Krueger. She called the competition and hype surrounding it "one of the world's largest destination marketing opportunities."
And advisors have an opportunity to highlight their destination expertise and experience, she said, as travelers become curious about nations whose fans have found the spotlight.
"They really are going for what they learned about that culture because of the human interest piece, because those players were here," she said.
For those captivated by "the beautiful game" itself, G Adventures launched small-group itineraries focused on matches in Europe. The Away Games collection consists of more than 30 departure dates beginning in October to hot spots like Barcelona, Madrid and Manchester, England.
Travelers will enjoy VIP club-level seating, premium lounge access and hospitality packages on their trips. Besides the matches, tours will focus on the sport and local culture with behind-the-scenes access to stadiums, visits to pubs and food tours.
"At G Adventures, we've always believed travel is about human connection, and there are few communities more passionate, emotional and united than football fans," said Yves Marceau, the vice president of product at G Adventures.