Report says several factors, including visa barriers and geopolitical concerns, are to be blamed for low booking numbers.

Hotel reservations in the United States, associated with the World Cup, are falling far short of industry expectations, a business group has said, with five weeks to go until football’s flagship tournament.

The observation is based on results, released on Monday, from the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) survey of its members in the 11 US metropolitan areas that will host FIFA World Cup matches, from New York to Los Angeles.

Eighty percent of respondents reported hotel bookings were tracking below initial forecasts.…