Vancouver, Toronto Prep for World Cup as Experts Question Impact

Vancouver and Toronto businesses are preparing for an influx of soccer fans as the FIFA World Cup approaches next month, but experts caution that the tournament's economic impact on the two cities may prove impossible to measure accurately.

The expanded 48-team event, co-hosted by 16 cities across Canada, the United States and Mexico, will feature 104 matches from June 11 to July 19. Vancouver and Toronto are among the Canadian host cities, with Toronto scheduled for six games. Local operators like Vancouver Foodie Tours have customized their food tours to highlight the city's soccer history, drawing on experiences from Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in December 2024. "Event-driven experiences have been on the rise and Vancouver really comes alive when these events come into the city, and it just makes a lot of sense to just be a part of it," said operations manager Veronica Irvine.

Tourism leaders report growing excitement. Destination Vancouver CEO Royce Chwin noted businesses announcing viewing parties and related events as FIFA signage appears across the city. Destination Toronto's Kelly Jackson cited modeling showing more than half of ticket holders for Toronto's games will come...