FIFA Just Released 15,000 Vancouver Hotel Rooms—But Your Airbnb Payday Might Be Smaller Than Expected

FIFA has cancelled approximately 15,000 nightly room bookings in Vancouver between June 11 and July 19, 2026, releasing roughly 70 to 80 per cent of the hotel inventory it had originally reserved for the World Cup tournament. According to the B.C. Hotel Association, this massive release is happening across all 16 host cities, including Toronto, but Vancouver remains the second-strongest performing market behind only New York when measured by hotel bookings, travel demand, and ticket sales. The scale of the cancellation is notable—representing the majority of FIFA's initial group blocks—but the association's president Paul Hawes characterizes it as standard practice for major events, albeit larger than typical.