Chris Van Brockhoven booked his trip to Vancouver last summer hoping to attend a World Cup match, but the cost of admission forced him and his group to rethink their plans.
“We were flabbergasted at how expensive the tickets are and how much people are seemingly paying for them,” he said. All four men entered the FIFA selection draws, but when they were offered tickets about a month ago, prices were “crazy.” Resale tickets are roughly $2,000 each. “We’d pay that for a season ticket over here for a top English club. We just can’t justify that sort of spend,” added Van Brockhoven, who lives in London, England.
Jarrett Vaughan, an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, says one of the biggest challenges visitors face is just the sheer cost. He points to the accommodation industry, noting hotel rates are already very expensive and the additional visitor pressure drives them higher. To become an Airbnb host in Vancouver, the listing must be your principal residence, and you need a city business license plus provincial registration. Vaughan says the annual cost of roughly $1,200 and the risk are likely deterrents.
World Cup Facebook forums are filled with people listing homes for rent under the table. Vaughan calls it a “black market or grey market” approach, adding that provincial and local governments should open up the economy rather than restrict it, which is keeping hotel rates high and driving away visitors.
Destination Vancouver says June hotel bookings are down 20% compared with the same time last year but remains hopeful for a late surge. Van Brockhoven credits booking almost a year in advance for avoiding astronomical accommodation costs-his Airbnb works out to about $125 per night per person.
Vancouver is one of 16 host cities across Canada, the U.S., and Mexico for the expanded 48-team tournament running June 11 through July 19. Toronto is also hosting matches.
Shushan Vardanyan, a Vancouver mother of a nine-year-old soccer fan, has been hunting for discounted youth tickets but says “the prices are crazy.” She believes soccer should be affordable and accessible, especially for young athletes. Her family booked a vacation around the Vancouver dates, hoping to score tickets, and remain optimistic prices will drop.
Both Canadian host cities have announced fan events and activities for those without tickets. Vancouver’s official FIFA Fan Festival at the Pacific National Exhibition will feature live match broadcasts, interactive activities, cultural programming, and concerts by Flo Rida, Simple Plan, and Arkells. Van Brockhoven’s group bought tickets for the fan festival on June 17 and 18. “The whole reason we’re coming over was to see the football,” he said. “It’s not going to stop us watching the games and enjoying the atmosphere.”