Agents north of the border are reporting a surge in enquiries after Scotland qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 for the first time since 1998.
The team secured its place on Tuesday night after beating Denmark 4-2 in the group stages.
Barrhead Travel is urging fans to book early for the tournament, which will be played in the US, Canada and Mexico next summer, and is preparing for demand to rise when the match fixtures are announced in early December.
The Glasgow-headquartered travel agency group says it has already secured availability for exclusive deals packages that include flights, and hotels, as well as match-day experiences.
President Jacqueline Dobson said: “Our World Cup landing page on the website had the highest traffic last night across our entire web estate, which gives an indication of how significant the appetite to travel will be.
“We launched our World Cup packages last year and we’d already been taking bookings from football fans who just wanted to enjoy the tournament, irrespective of teams. Now that Scotland and England have qualified, the pace of enquiries has accelerated.
“Some Scotland fans are telling us this morning that they just want to get to North America, so are already booking up travel to ensure they’re in the region for at least a week or two.”
Other agencies report an increase in enquiries but say they are waiting to launch offers when the draw is made on 5 December.
Ramsay World Travel told the Scottish newspaper The Courier it had more than 1,650 enquiries overnight on Tuesday and into Wednesday.
Director Colin Ramsay told the newspaper: “The demand has been unprecedented, even bigger than for the Euros, across Dundee, Fife, Perth and Angus.
“We have been looking at packages but can’t give prices until we know who we are playing.”
The agency is taking pre-registrations for one, two and three-game packages covering Scotland’s group matches, with priority access granted to early registrants when fixtures are announced.
Glen Travel Operations Manager Debbie Black told Travel Gossip: “There has been a boost in enquires, but what we have done is taken details so we can call customers as soon as we know where Scotland will be playing. There are a lot of people who are just keen to be out in the US and get their kilts on!”
On its Facebook page, Murray Travel in Inverness said: “The Tartan Army is officially marching across the Atlantic to USA, Canada & Mexico. This could be the summer we’ll talk about for decades. Packages go on sale the moment the draw is made – 5th December. That’s when the groups drop. That’s when the dream becomes real. That’s when the scramble for the best seats, hotels and experiences kicks off.”
A spokesperson for The Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association (SPAA) added: “Scotland’s in the best travel position it’s ever been with routine direct flights from Scotland to the USA and Canada from Edinburgh and Glasgow, with hubs like New York, Chicago, Toronto and Boston providing straightforward onward connections to almost all host cities.
“Scotland’s travel professionals are already planning tailored packages to all host cities; multi-centre itineraries for those following Scotland across North America; advice on visas, entry requirements and the quirks of three host nations; and protection for fans booking complex, multi-flight World Cup trips.”
