12 Jun
There is a lot of chatter about the FIFA World Cup 26™, but we really don’t know for sure how this will impact our city. So far, all of the outward hype is positive, but what about the behind-the-scenes whispers? Is Vancouver ready for the world to descend upon us from June 13th to July 7th next year?
BC Place Vancouver will host seven matches from the FIFA World Cup 26™, including Canada’s second and third group fixtures and two knockout games in the latter stages of the tournament.
How many tourists will be coming to Vancouver? Will we have enough hotel rooms to accommodate all of them? We have the same number of hotel rooms as we did in 2002, with 23 hotel properties currently in the pipeline. However, these are more of a longer-term plan and won’t be ready for 2026.
Rising Tide was pleased to attend the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade luncheon on June 10th with the esteemed speakers Victor Montagliani, FIFA VP and CONCACAF President, Chief Wayne Sparrow of the Musqueam Indian Band, Royce Chwin of Destination Vancouver and Jessie Adcock from the City of Vancouver.
This event provided a high-level overview of FIFA and its potential impact on tourism, hospitality, and the city as a whole. Now that we are one year out, they are not ready to share details about what the opportunities will be for our community and local businesses. They addressed that they would be focusing on safety and security, how to handle the influx of visitors at YVR and BC Place Stadium and that there will be the official fan site at the PNE.
Despite not knowing all of the details just yet, Royce from Destination Vancouver said, “We know how to host… We know how to welcome the world…”
We have done this before, so we look forward to another spectacular event for Vancouver—arguably the largest event we have ever hosted!
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