In Vancouver, Britain’s Expertise Assists in FIFA World Cup Planning

One of the positive developments in this period of global turmoil is the strengthening relationship between Canada and Great Britain. Trade between the nations has ticked up noticeably in the past year and tourism is a thriving factor in the ongoing economic relationship. On Wednesday, the British Consulate in Vancouver hosted a FIFA World Cup and Rugby 7s tournament kick-off session. The latter of those two tournaments takes place at BC Place (March 7-8) for the 11th consecutive year and has become an anchor event for off-season tourism to Vancouver. It’s FIFA, though, that everyone is anticipating.

The British Consulate’s kick-off event, held at the new Corner Club meeting space that overlooks the BC Place field, punctuated the importance of sports in developing cultural connections and economies. A key sector where local culture and the economy intersects is tourism, and sports tourism is one of the fastest-growing subsection’s of that industry. According to Fortune Insights, North American host cities for the men’s World Cup are projected to see over $8.1 billion USD in traveller spending, driven by up to a 20% increase in bookings for matches. Overall, the global sports sector represents 10% of tourism revenues, according to an Expedia report.

For Vancouver and Toronto, the two Canadian cities that are part of the North American-based 2026 World Cup, the revenue projections are already rocketing. Accommodations are priced extraordinarily high, with Hotels.com reporting that “travellers can expect to see rates 2 to 3 times higher in Toronto across hotel types with some 2-star hotels charging regular 5-star rates” and “travellers can expect even higher increases at Vancouver hotels across hotel types with rates 3 to 8 times the cost around match dates.”

Suburban areas, such as Surrey, are witnessing 45% increases in rates for match dates, according to the Hotels.com report. Fans staying a distance away from the downtown stadium will be using public transit to get to the game on time and organizers are preparing for that challenge.

Vancouver will host seven matches, including two of Canada’s early-stage contests, and planners are looking at Britain for expertise.

Organizers have enlisted Steer, a UK-headquartered company that specializes in planning and infrastructure for large-scale crowd events. Speaking on a panel, Geoff England, a Steer Vice-President of Program Operations, said he has learned plenty from Britain about what makes an event work successfully for the public.

“Getting to the game is part of the fan experience. If you live in Richmond, like I do, I hop on the Canada Line train and there might be a few fans on there who are also going to the game. That’s great. But it’s not like taking the Tube to a game in London. It’s madness. Everyone is already into the game before they board,” England said. “So part of what you have to do is understand the fan experience. It’s a global audience you’re talking about. They’re way more passionate. The game starts when they leave their hotel or their house.”

MORE SOCCER TRAVEL: Experience Messi Mania

Catering to them throughout the tournament, even when matches aren’t played at BC Place, will be key to a positive event. During Vancouver Cocktail Week, which wraps up on Sunday, the World Cup was a topic of conversation in seminars, bar crawls, and mixology classes. At D/6 Lounge at the Parq Casino, general manager Miles François said the upcoming spring cocktail menu will have elements to appeal to the larger-than-usual number of international visitors who will be in the city during the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19. The championship will be held in Los Angeles while the final match in Vancouver (a round of 16 contest) is slated for July 7.

“We will be having watch parties for the games on our patio and we already have a game-day menu for UFC and Super Bowl that we’ll feature,” said François, who ran the Cocktail Masterclass at D/6 during Vancouver Cocktail Week.

In the Greater Vancouver Area, there will be more than 60 watch parties, according to Carl Valentine, an ambassador for the Vancouver Whitecaps of the MLS and a former Team Canada player. Toronto is one of the few cities in the world with residents from most, if not all, of the 48 participating World Cup countries, and there will be watch parties in communities throughout the city.

“These watch parties are going to be epic. It’s going to create a new love for the game,” said Valentine, who is originally from Britain and was one of the panellists at the British Consulate kick-off event. “For me the World Cup is a celebration of fans. These fans who are coming to our city have been to three or four World Cups. They know what to expect. Why do they follow the team? Because it’s life.”

It’s big money for destinations, too. Cathy Stapells, VisitBritain’s well-respected Director for Canada, said 2 million travellers venture to the United Kingdom each year to watch sports and they spend cumulatively 2 billion British pounds. It’s a segment with economic clout and growing importance in the marketplace. The goal for tourism boards like VisitBritain is to connect travel consumers to their most passionate interests and introduce them to adjacent offerings, whether it be culinary, arts, or niche businesses.

For Britain, Canada is a ripe travel market. Not only because of Canada’s real-time tourism divorce with the United States, but the tight and historic connections between the two nations. About 1 million Canadians travel to Britain each year, spending approximately 1 billion British pounds (close to $2 billion CAD), according to VisitBritain. More interest is growing for destinations such as Wales — which will see WestJet flights from Toronto to Cardiff operating three times a week in 2026 — and English cities such as Birmingham and Liverpool. The success of “Wuthering Heights” on the big screen has propelled interest in Yorkshire, the setting for much of that film. And the growth of soccer in Canada adds to the fervour for seeing a Premier League match in person. [Read More: Explore Birmingham]

So while this summer the focus will be on travellers from abroad venturing to North Amercia for the World Cup, any participating country could capitalize on the momentum gained from the spotlight they earn from the Beautiful Game. So even though England is forever keen to “bring it home”, it is already sitting on a winning prize as the origin of the planet’s most popular sport.

2026 FIFA WORLD CUP MATCHES AT BC PLACE

Group Stage (All Times Pacific Standard)
June 13: Australia vs. UEFA Playoff C Winner, 9 p.m.
June 18: Canada vs. Qatar, 3 p.m.
June 21: New Zealand vs. Egypt, 6 p.m.
June 24: Canada vs. Switzerland, 12 p.m.
June 26: New Zealand vs. Belgium, 8 p.m.