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Thousands of hotel rooms have been released back into Vancouver’s inventory ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but those working in the tourism industry say visitors shouldn’t expect prices to drop.
The B.C. Hotel Association says FIFA has cancelled between 70 and 80 per cent of the rooms it had initially booked in downtown Vancouver, which is about 15,000 nightly room reservations during the World Cup tournament between June 11 and July 19.
Paul Hawes, president and CEO of the association, says it’s standard practice for major events to reserve a block of hotel rooms for staff and media, but in this case the scale of the release is notable.
“It certainly does seem high,” he said, adding that similar cancellations are happening across all 16 host cities, including Toronto.
The B.C. Hotel Association says FIFA organizers have cancelled between 70 and 80 per cent of the hotel rooms they booked in the 16 cities hosting World Cup games. In Vancouver alone, about 15,000 nightly room bookings have been cancelled. As the CBC’s Janella Hamilton reports, while Vancouver’s mayor said the World Cup would be a huge payout for the city, some tour operators are skeptical.
Regardless, Hawes says Vancouver remains one of the stronger-performing destinations among them.
“We heard from the FIFA … this week that Vancouver is the number two performing city with New York being first,” he said.
He says that ranking is based on hotel bookings, travel demand and ticket sales.
Soccer fans headed to Vancouver for the tournament this summer have reported finding limited or expensive options for hotels or rental rooms in the city.
Soccer fans headed to Vancouver for the FIFA World Cup this summer are finding limited options for hotels or rentals — and what is available comes with a high price tag.
While there are going to be thousands of rooms available to the public across many downtown hotels, Hawes says the shift is unlikely to affect pricing.
He says hotel occupancy in Vancouver is estimated to be around 90 per cent during the World Cup period, which according to him, is in line with a typical busy summer.
“The demand continues to be high … there’s no reason to change the pricing.”
The province has estimated about 350,000 visitors could come to Vancouver during the tournament.
Mixed outlook for tourism operators
Maria Wihak, a product manager with West Trek Tours, says her company has put a lot of work into creating affordable World Cup travel packages to make the event more accessible.
Discover Canada Tours, West Trek’s parent company, has partnered with CSM Travel to secure a block of accommodations at Simon Fraser University, starting at about $250 per night, to create a dedicated “fan village.”
“It gives them a fan experience and a shared community atmosphere where they can meet other fans and watch games together,” said Wihak.
But so far, sales have been slower than expected.
“We’ve currently sold around 20 per cent of our inventory, which is a bit concerning,” Wihak said. “We were definitely hoping that we’d have sold up to 50 per cent or more by now.”
She says her business is relying heavily on World Cup-related travel to offset a drop in regular summer visitors, who are avoiding the city during the tournament period.
A different kind of World Cup
When it was announced Vancouver would be hosting some tournament games, Mayor Ken Sim compared it to being equivalent to hosting 30-40 Super Bowls within a month.
Mihak says it seems the tournament’s impact was a bit over-hyped.
“But I also do feel like in the long run, it’s going to be amazing for Vancouver to have the world’s eyes on our city,” she added.
Hawes says the scale and structure of the 2026 tournament makes this World Cup different from any other before.
“It’s the first time that it’s been split between three countries,” he said.
That means visitors and bookings are spread across multiple destinations, rather than concentrated in a single country.
“It’s like another major event in town, like a Taylor Swift concert or a large conference,” he said.
Demand expected to build closer to games
Some tourism officials say they are hopeful demand could increase as the tournament approaches.
Royce Chwin, president and CEO of Destination Vancouver, says booking patterns have shifted as travellers prefer to wait longer to finalize plans.
“Booking behaviour is later and later,” he said. “We think the demand is going to continue to grow the closer we get in and the more hype the world cup offers up in terms of who’s coming here we still have a team to decide.”
B.C. Place will host Canada’s men’s national soccer team on June 18 against Qatar.