A Unified Vision for Tourism Readiness Ahead of the World Cup

Excerpt from https://horwathhtl.com/insight/a-unified-vision-fo

In 2026, the world will turn its eyes toward North America.

For a month, the FIFA World Cup will become more than a global sporting competition – it will be a defining measure of how cities, nations, and industries craft human experience at scale.

The Experience Before the Arrival

Across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, millions of travelers will arrive not only to see a game but to live a story. They will bring expectations formed by past travels, social media, and the promise that the world’s most celebrated event will surpass them all.

The question is not whether cities are ready to host; most are well into preparations for security, transportation, and stadium readiness. The question is whether visitors will leave believing they’ve experienced something extraordinary—something that defines their impression of a city and compels them to return.

The World Cup is less about the matches and more about movement: the flows of people, ideas, and emotion that ripple through a city when the world arrives all at once. It is a moment when the tourist experience becomes the city’s most valuable export—and the foundation of its long-term economic legacy.

The timing for readiness is not arbitrary. As the calendar nears the end of the year, most cities find themselves in the STRATCON 5 period—a phase defined by strategic alignment, fiscal planning, and inter-agency coordination. It is the most critical phase to establish visibility, define objectives, and synchronize communications.

STRATCON 5 occurs roughly ten to three months before a major event. It is when budgets close, contracts finalize, and momentum begins. The reason this period “packs the most punch” fiscally is simple: money not yet committed is opportunity waiting to be optimized. Every investment made in STRATCON 5—whether in wayfinding, crowd flow, sustainability, or service design—multiplies its impact later. By the time a city reaches STRATCON 3, most financial decisions are fixed, and only refinements remain.

The closing months of the fiscal year offer a rare alignment between planning and economic opportunity. Cities that engage during this window can shape their narratives, set visitor expectations, and activate systems that make spending feel effortless.

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