Hotel bookings in Vancouver for June are down approximately 20% [1] compared to the same month in 2025 [1].
The decline comes as the city prepares to host matches for the FIFA World Cup, which begins June 8, 2026 [3]. This dip suggests that the anticipated surge in sports tourism may not be offsetting the loss of traditional business travel.
Royce Chwin, a spokesperson for Destination Vancouver, said, "We're seeing a 20% drop in bookings compared to last year" [2]. The organization and local tourism officials are monitoring the trend as the tournament kickoff approaches.
Officials attribute the lower numbers to a specific void in the city's event calendar. An unnamed tourism official said, "The lack of conventions is a main reason for the lower projected business" [3]. Because the city is prioritizing World Cup infrastructure and logistics, few large-scale corporate conventions were scheduled during this period.
Weather has also played a role in the early-season slump. Tourism officials said that unusually rainy weather throughout May dampened travel demand [2]. This combination of poor weather and a lack of corporate events has created a gap in occupancy that the tournament fans have not yet filled.
Amelia John of CBC said, "Hotel bookings in the city are down for June, raising concerns ahead of the World Cup" [1]. The current data reflects a period of transition where the city moves from its standard business-tourism model to a sports-centric one.
While the World Cup is expected to bring thousands of international visitors, the current booking pace indicates that the "World Cup bump" has not materialized in the way officials expected for the early part of the month [2].
“"We're seeing a 20% drop in bookings compared to last year,"”
The decline in bookings highlights the volatility of relying on mega-events for economic stability. While the FIFA World Cup brings global visibility, the displacement of the convention industry—which typically provides steady, high-volume business travel—creates a financial risk if sports fans do not arrive in sufficient numbers or spend as much as corporate travelers.
