KC is one of the summer's hottest travel spots

Flight searches to Kansas City are up 25% from last summer, putting the metro among the country's fastest-rising travel destinations as the World Cup nears.

Why it matters: KC rarely lands on national summer travel lists, but the World Cup, a few years of Chiefs winning and Taylor Swift hype are pulling visitors toward the metro.

Driving the news: Travelers are increasingly building trips around games. An Expedia report found 57% are likely to catch a local sporting event while traveling, rising to 68% among Gen Z and millennials.

Zoom out: Along with KC, Dallas and Houston are seeing the biggest jump in World Cup flight searches of any U.S. host city, per Kayak's tournament dashboard.

Internationally, the Dominican Republic and Morocco are the breakout destinations, per Axios' national report.

Domestic airfares are up nearly $100 year over year and international fares nearly $200, but average round-trip airfare to KC is still under $500, one of the better deals among this summer's trending spots.

What to know: Kayak's Kayla DeLoache told Axios it's smart to book early to lock in today's fares before they climb.

Flying midweek helps, and fares nationally bottom out from mid-August to early September, well after KC's matches end.

The bottom line: With six matches and a downtown FIFA Fan Festival, KC's summer in the spotlight is the brightest it's had in years.