Travel Bookings and Prices Surge In Run-up to Women’s World Cup

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which runs for one month starting July 20, is set to become the most-attended standalone women’s sporting event in history. More than 1 million attendees are expected across all of the matches, with 1 billion-plus viewers predicted to tune in around the globe.

With a total of 64 games taking place at 10 venues across New Zealand and Australia, it’s safe to say that the Women’s World Cup is taking over the “land down under.” 

To get a better idea of how the sports bonanza is affecting travel to the region, Navan analyzed our flight and hotel booking data for trips taking place during the weeks of the World Cup. One thing is for sure — the travel prices will leave you saying, “Crikey!”

Let’s dig in.

A Goal for the Australian Travel Industry

During the Women’s World Cup (July 20–August 20, 2023), global flight bookings to AUS/NZL are up 48% year-over-year, and hotel bookings in the region are up 45% YoY.

Of course, with increased demand comes increased prices. Hotel booking prices in the region are up 29% YoY, with the average stay during the World Cup coming in at $425 per night. That’s nearly $100 more than the $329 average hotel booking price at the same time last year.

Fans Are Flocking From All Over the World

Navan data shows that Oceania residents make up nearly three-fourths of travelers flying to AUS/NZL during the matches, but more than 25% of the travelers are visiting from outside the continent: Asia (12%), Americas (10%), Europe (4%). 

In addition, the volume of international flight bookings to AUS/NZL during the time period of the Women's World Cup have increased 43% YoY. All flight bookings — which include domestic AUS/NZL flights — are up 48% YoY (as noted above).

Let’s further break this down by country. From June 20–August 20, 2023, the most flight bookings to AUS/NZL were made in the following places: the United States (36%), Singapore (24%), the United Kingdom (11%), Japan (5%), and India (5%). The share of fight bookings from the UK jumped 6 percentage points YoY — seeing the largest increase in share.

There was a notable decrease in travelers originating from Japan, which was down 8 percentage points YoY — potentially due to reluctance among Japanese residents to travel overseas amid high costs and lingering COVID-19 concerns. Although the number of tourists visiting Japan is quickly returning to pre-pandemic levels, outbound travel from Japan is still depressed. The number of Japanese outbound travelers is down nearly 18 million from 2019 levels and lingering at a volume similar to the early 1970s. This trend is expected to continue: When surveyed, Japanese residents were named the most likely to “never travel again.”

Here’s a look at the top 10 international countries by share of bookings to AUS/NZL during the period of the World Cup.

Conclusion

If the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is any indication, the demand for live events, such as large-scale sporting spectacles, has continued to increase post-pandemic. More and more, consumers and businesses are looking to foster relationships and experiences — a trend to watch closely leading up to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. 

Whether you’re booking travel to attend the Tour de France, the US Open, Wimbledon, or any type of personal trip, see for yourself how Navan makes it easy and convenient to tap into benefits when booking your next adventure.

Methodology

Navan analyzed the average flight and hotel booking prices in Australia and New Zealand during the dates of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup (July 20–August 20, 2023) with a booking window of January 1 through the second Monday of July 2023, and compared that to the average flight and hotel booking prices in the region for the equivalent trip dates the year prior.