If you have ever tried to follow a major international football tournament across multiple cities, you already know the pain points. Hotels sell out fast, prices fluctuate by the hour, and building a logical route between match cities often feels like solving a puzzle with missing pieces. That exact problem sits at the heart of a new collaboration between Best Western Hotels & Resorts and TripAdvisor, who have just launched an AI-powered planning experience called Go for the Goal. sports tourism travel

Designed specifically for fans traveling to North America for the world’s biggest international soccer tournament in summer 2026, the platform aims to simplify multi-city trip planning at scale. This is not just about finding a hotel near a stadium. It is about connecting matches, cities, routes, accommodation and experiences into one flexible itinerary that can evolve as plans change.

For an industry increasingly shaped by sports tourism and AI-driven personalization, this launch feels less like a marketing activation and more like a preview of where large-scale event travel is heading.

Why sports travel needs a different kind of planner

Traditional travel planning tools work reasonably well for single-destination trips. Sports tourism breaks that model. Fans often visit three, four, or even six cities in under three weeks, sometimes across borders. The logistics become more complex with every knockout round, especially when match schedules shift or teams advance unexpectedly.

The Go for the Goal platform leans into that reality. Powered by Tripadvisor data and AI-driven recommendations, it analyzes traveler preferences while addressing the specific challenges of event-based, multi-city travel. The experience brings together Best Western Hotels & Resorts options near match venues, suggested routes between host cities, and curated recommendations that go beyond the stadium.

Instead of forcing fans to stitch together hotel searches, map tools, restaurant reviews and local tips across multiple tabs, the platform consolidates everything into one planning flow. The result is less friction and more confidence, particularly for international travelers unfamiliar with North American distances and transport options.

What the Go for the Goal experience actually does

At its core, Go for the Goal is an AI-powered trip planner built on Tripadvisor’s existing technology and data scale. Fans input their match cities, travel dates and preferences, and the platform generates tailored guidance that adapts as itineraries evolve.

Hotel recommendations are anchored by more than 200 BWH Hotels properties located within a 25-mile radius of host stadiums across the United States, Canada and Mexico. These recommendations prioritize availability and convenience, while still offering variety across the BWH portfolio, from premium WorldHotels stays to more budget-friendly SureStay options.

What stands out is the flexibility baked into the experience. If a preferred hotel sells out or plans shift at the last minute, nearby alternatives are surfaced quickly, reducing the stress that usually accompanies high-demand travel periods.

Beyond accommodation, the platform also highlights dining, cultural landmarks and fan-friendly experiences along each route. This positions the trip as more than a sequence of matches, turning it into a broader travel journey shaped by local flavor.

Why this partnership makes sense

From a strategic perspective, the partnership between Best Western Hotels & Resorts and TripAdvisor is tightly aligned.

Best Western brings one of the largest and most geographically diverse hotel portfolios in the world, with strong coverage across secondary cities that are often overlooked by luxury chains. Tripadvisor contributes the data depth, behavioral insights and AI infrastructure needed to personalize recommendations at scale.

“Soccer is surging across North America, and this summer’s once-in-a-generation global tournament will inspire millions to hit the road and follow the action. We’re committed to offering intuitive, data-driven solutions that help today’s travelers discover and book hotels with ease,” said Joelle Park, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, BWH Hotels.

“By partnering with Tripadvisor, we’re reimagining the planning experience with AI making multi-city journeys simpler, helping guests uncover new destinations and ensuring they find welcoming places to stay that fit their needs.”

From Tripadvisor’s side, the move reinforces its push beyond reviews and into intelligent trip orchestration.

“With our dynamic AI trip planner, we’re using cutting-edge technology to elevate the journey for travelers heading to this global event,” said Steven Paganelli, VP, Global Media & Partnerships at Tripadvisor. “Rarely do events at this scale occur, and with sports tourism booming, we’re thrilled to team up with Best Western to champion fans and power an all-new era of AI-driven travel.”

Coverage, languages and regional rollout

The Go for the Goal platform is currently live across the United States, Canada and Mexico, reflecting the geographic footprint of the 2026 tournament. It is available in both English and Spanish, a practical decision given the expected fan demographics and cross-border travel flows.

Additional international markets are planned, which suggests the platform could eventually serve fans planning long-haul trips from Europe, South America and Asia. That expansion will matter, especially as international supporters tend to plan earlier and stay longer.

It is also worth noting that Best Western Hotels & Resorts is an official partner of the United Soccer League, making this launch a natural extension of the brand’s broader commitment to soccer and its fanbase in North America.

How does this compare to other players in the market

AI-powered trip planning is not new, but most existing solutions remain generic. Google Travel offers smart suggestions but lacks deep event-specific logic. Booking.com and Expedia have introduced AI assistants, yet their focus remains transactional rather than journey-based. Even newer startups in sports travel tend to concentrate on ticketing or single-city packages.

What differentiates Go for the Goal is its explicit design around a multi-city, high-pressure event scenario. By anchoring recommendations around stadium proximity, availability windows and routing logic, it solves a very specific problem that mass-market tools still struggle with.

This approach aligns with broader travel tech trends highlighted by sources such as Skift and Phocuswright, both of which point to personalization and event-based travel as key growth drivers. According to Skift Research, sports tourism is expected to grow faster than leisure travel overall over the next five years, driven by global events and increasingly mobile fanbases.

Why this matters beyond 2026

While the platform is built around a single tournament, its implications go further. Large-scale events, from the Olympics to continental championships and major music festivals, all share similar logistical challenges. If Go for the Goal proves successful, the model is highly repeatable.

For Best Western Hotels & Resorts, it strengthens visibility and bookings during peak demand periods without relying solely on price competition. For Tripadvisor, it reinforces a shift toward AI-powered travel orchestration rather than passive discovery.

For travelers, the benefit is clear. Less time planning. Fewer surprises. More room to actually enjoy the experience.

Conclusion: What does this signals mean for travel tech

Go for the Goal is not just a campaign microsite. It is a signal of where travel planning is heading as AI matures and traveler expectations rise. Compared to generic AI assistants from OTAs or search platforms, this experience feels purpose-built, contextual and grounded in real travel behavior.

The collaboration between Best Western Hotels & Resorts and TripAdvisor shows how established players can move faster by combining assets instead of building everything in-house. It also reflects a broader industry shift toward event-specific, flexible planning tools that acknowledge uncertainty rather than pretending it does not exist.

As sports tourism continues to grow and global events become more complex to navigate, platforms liksport te this may become the norm rather than the exception. For now, Go for the Goal sets a strong benchmark. It understands the fan mindset, leverages reliable data, and applies AI where it genuinely adds value. That combination is still rare in travel tech, and it is exactly why this launch deserves attention.