Destination Vancouver is expecting to capitalize on the World FIFA Cup momentum, reflected in a strong business events pipeline. Destination Vancouver and the Vancouver Convention Centre are currently at 61 per cent of their annual citywide bid win goal, while citywide lead volume is tracking at 125 per cent of pace year-to-date.
Looking further ahead, 2027 is on track to become the busiest year on record for citywide conferences, surpassing the previous high set in 2018 by close to 20 per cent. Momentum is continuing into 2028, with the team already at 85 per cent of its annual target.
“One of the greatest measures of success is what happens after the spotlight moves on,” said Royce Chwin, president and CEO of Destination Vancouver. “A few days after the final match, Vancouver returns to doing what it does best: welcoming delegates, attracting major international meetings and filling our convention calendar. That’s exactly what a resilient visitor economy looks like. Major sporting events and business events aren’t separate stories. Together they strengthen Vancouver’s reputation, support local businesses and create year round economic opportunity.”
On top of a strong conference schedule, Vancouver is seeing a record cruise season with 358 ship calls scheduled this year and more than 1.4 million passengers forecast. That’s up from 300 ship calls last year and 1.2 million passengers.
Analysis has shown that destinations that successfully host globally significant events strengthen not only tourism demand, but also international reputation, investment attractiveness, and long-term competitiveness. FIFA World Cup 2026 demonstrated Vancouver’s ability to deliver one of the world’s largest sporting events while showcasing the creativity, collaboration and hospitality that define the destination.
This degree of international attention will be pivotal to building the value of Vancouver’s visitor economy from $9 billion to $11 billion over the next few years.
