HOUSTON — Some downtown Houston business owners say they have seen fewer customers than expected during the FIFA World Cup despite hundreds of thousands of visitors attending tournament-related events across the city.
More than 550,000 people have attended World Cup matches, the FIFA Fan Festival and related activities in Houston during the first 15 days of the tournament, according to the Houston Host Committee.
City officials have projected the tournament will generate about $1.5 billion in economic impact for the Houston area.
However, some business owners outside the immediate event zones said the increase in customer traffic has been limited.
Jermaine Reed, owner of Little New Orleans near the Main Street Promenade, said his business has increased by about 10% during the tournament.
“I really thought it would have been more busier,” Reed said.
Reed said he has spoken with other downtown business owners who reported similar experiences.
“Not here downtown because I talk to a lot of the other owners and it’s slow for them also,” he said.
At Discovery Green, vendors who set up during the tournament said attendance has not matched their expectations.
Nayson Goins of Pearland-based We Luv Spudz said he anticipated larger crowds after seeing road closures and preparations leading up to the event.
“Streets were being blocked off before FIFA, so we thought, wow, this is going to be a lot of people,” Goins said. “It could have been a better turnout, but we’re thankful for what we have.”
According to city officials, hotel occupancy in Houston has increased by 11% during the tournament, while more than 320,000 visitors have traveled to East Downtown.
Despite those figures, some downtown businesses said they have not experienced the level of customer traffic they expected.
Reed said some business owners prepared for a larger influx of visitors by hiring additional staff, although he chose not to increase staffing levels.
“The people I talked to said it was going to be like the World Series and the Super Bowl together,” Reed said. “And actually, it’s not.”
