Destination Vancouver looks beyond World Cup to build lasting tourism and convention growth

With Vancouver's seven FIFA World Cup matches now behind it, the city's tourism authority is framing the tournament's conclusion not as a finish line but as the beginning of a larger push to convert global exposure into sustained growth for tourism, conventions, investment, and major events.

Destination Vancouver president and CEO Royce Chwin said on Thursday that major global events have historically boosted Vancouver's profile well beyond the event itself. "Expo 86 introduced Vancouver to the world. The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015 cemented our place on the global stage," Chwin said. "FIFA World Cup 2026 has introduced Vancouver to an entirely new generation of future visitors around the world. Our job now is to turn that inspiration into opportunity."

The city is moving quickly. On Friday, July 10 — just three days after BC Place Stadium's final match — the Vancouver Convention Centre is scheduled to host Vancouver's first post-tournament "citywide conference," defined as a meeting with more than 1,000 out-of-town delegates.

Destination Vancouver and the Vancouver Convention Centre are 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 ahead, 2027 is projected to become Vancouver's busiest year on record for citywide conferences, exceeding the 2018 record by close to 20 per cent. Momentum is continuing into 2028, with the team already at 85 per cent of its annual target.