Will World Cup deliver economic boom as promised in Boston? It's not looking good for hotels.

The World Cup kicks off next week and it's supposed to be an economic boom for Massachusetts, according to city and state leaders.

But, so far, the numbers show there may not be the overwhelming demand the tourism industry was expecting.

Hotels are reporting they'll be lucky to break even, with lower-than-expected bookings. About 80 percent of Boston hotels report their bookings are falling short of seasonal averages, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

"One hotel we talked to downtown is concerned they may not even see improvement year over year from last summer," said Doug Banks, the executive editor of the Boston Business Journal. They've been following the tourism impacts leading up to the tournament.

Banks said hotels expected an avalanche of bookings when the teams and matches were announced, but it never came. He said World Cup fans are willing to pay the inflated rates for rooms, but prices are keeping the typical summer tourist out. That's creating a shortfall in reservations.

"Those tourists that would've come on any given summer, they're not going to be coming this summer whether it's because of the prices of the hotel rooms, because of the airfare prices," Banks told CBS News Boston.

Banks said hosting the World Cup is more likely to create repeat visitors as opposed to a record-setting summer - depending on how tourists enjoy the city, its transportation, and events.

Hotels aren't the only ones concerned. The MBTA said it's prepared to carry up to 20,000 fans per match on its special commuter rail train. But as of Friday, the T had sold just 46,000 total tickets for the first five games in Foxboro. That's less than 50 percent of expectations.

The World Cup will still bring hundreds of thousands of people to the Boston area for the seven matches at Gillette Stadium, which FIFA has renamed Boston Stadium for the tourney. Traffic is expected to be a nightmare around Foxboro. 

"I can say with confidence, we are ready," Foxboro Police Chief Michael Grace said Friday. Fans are encouraged to set aside plenty of extra time to get there.

"From the time you arrive on the property it may take over an hour to reach your seat due to the enhanced security measures," Grace said.