The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in just over three weeks here in Vancouver.

The tournament had been projected to attract more than 350,000 visitors to our city, but the numbers might say otherwise.

According to Destination Vancouver, June hotel bookings are down 20 per cent compared to the same time last year.

While bookings are not yet near where they were expected to be, the Azure Legacy Collection Hotel in downtown Vancouver remains optimistic as staff prepare for the FIFA rush.

“It’s not normal for various reasons. We do understand there are a lot of external factors playing into this. One of them is overall cost of travel,” said Azure Legacy Collection general manager Bek Shamsiev.

“There were a number of roadblocks that have played into the lower pace…one of them being overly optimistic as hoteliers and airlines. They had a lot of restrictions leading up to the booking window, like non-refundable or minimum lengths of stay for hotel scenarios. But we do see that progressive ease on restrictions.”

These restrictions and high costs may have driven soccer fans to visit other host cities instead.

“Why visit Vancouver when you can maybe attend a more affordable city in Mexico or the U.S., maybe a team you’re more interested in seeing,” said Jarrett Vaughn, adjunct professor, UBC Sauder School of Business.

“Now, people have made their plans, and there’s all this availability.”

But it isn’t just happening in Vancouver. The American Hotel and Lodging Association says bookings for 80 per cent of hotels in host cities are below initial forecasts.

“The decentralization of FIFA around North America seems to not work very well,” Vaughn said.

“People want to be in a central hub where there’s lots of action. Although it makes the games more accessible, one of the reasons you come to an event like this is the vibe, the excitement, the fandemonium, and it seems like it’s just not happening.”

Rooms might still fill up closer to game days. Flight Centre Canada booking data shows domestic flights to Vancouver are up five per cent between June 12 and July 10.

“I’m pretty confident that the travelling demand to…Vancouver, which is usually packed and busy every summer without such an iconic event, it will be picked up,” said Shamsiev.