Travel to the World Cup isn’t looking cheap.

A round-trip train from New York's Penn Station to MetLife Stadium will cost $150 — up from the usual $12.90. Spectators who don’t nab a train ticket are looking at a $80 bus ride, surge-priced ridehails, or $225-plus parking spots.

Transportation sticker shock is becoming a common theme across host cities. Boston's MBTA is quadrupling its round-trip fare to Gillette Stadium to $80. Kansas City parking starts at $125, up from $50 during NFL games. Other cities have launched taxes targeting World Cup travelers or entry fees for historically free fan festivals.

That’s not to mention forces outside of the tournament that are squeezing travelers, like increased airfares.

TBD on how this sort of pricing plays into travel demand for the tournament. Skift’s Sean O'Neill previously reported that hotel bookings are falling short of initial forecasts, despite FIFA’s claims of robust demand.

MSC CRUISES + SKIFT

Alaska’s reputation as a bucket list cruise destination rests largely on its wildlife encounters, especially whale sightings. MSC Cruises is treating its first season in the region as a research opportunity by partnering with ORCA.

The travel industry is moving from AI experimentation to execution, with real impact across distribution, operations, and customer experience. The Skift Data + AI Summit returns June 3 in New York City, bringing industry leaders together to share the next wave of AI applications and data strategies shaping travel.

At the Skift Transatlantic Summit, Miguel Sanz, President of the European Travel Commission and Director-General of Turespaña, explains the new reality for destination marketing.

The question is no longer whether a tourism board has a chatbot. The real game is learning how to influence AI platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini, so they surface accurate, useful recommendations that align with a destination’s goals. Sanz argues this is bigger than building a new website. It is a full strategy shift, coordinating stakeholders across Spain and Europe so smaller destinations are not left behind as AI becomes the new discovery layer for travel.

How are public travel tech companies performing around the world? The Skift Travel 200 pulls the data you need to know to understand the market. Paid subscribers get full access here.