After hosting a few FIFA World Cup Matches, new data shows people are looking to visit Vancouver in droves for Canada Day, a week from today.
The KAYAK Canada survey shows overall flight searches for the holiday are up by two per cent across the board, but Vancouver saw the biggest surge of 18 per cent.
“Vancouver is really having a moment as a domestic destination this Canada Day,” said KAYAK travel trends expert Adrienne Simic.
“This represents truly the biggest jump among domestic destinations for this holiday period.”
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She tells 1130 NewsRadio the increase is year-over-year and adds hosting the World Cup has helped increase the city’s popularity.
“Our research has shown that Canadians are really looking to enjoy nature when they travel domestically, and Vancouver delivers on its Sea to Sky promise in every possible way, with coastline and mountain ranges, and really a beautiful city.”
Simic explains people started looking to come here as soon as the World Cup schedule was announced.
“We did track a triple-digit surge in travel searches for Vancouver.”
She adds hosting big sporting events like this, or the 2010 Olympics, is a major driver in bringing people here.
“It reinforces Vancouver as a destination, for sure.”
With all eyes on Vancouver, the rest of the country and the world can soak in the mountains, the water, the skyline, and the stadium, as well as the excitement and buzz of simply being here.
“Vancouver’s cityscapes, mountains, and coastlines are captivating, and all of the broadcasting of all of the exciting things happening on the ground there are certainly contributing to increased awareness and exploring the area.”
Canada’s March to the Match is making its way, winding through Vancouver streets toward BC Place Stadium.It’s a full take over. Surreal atmosphere all along the route. Fans chanting and cheering, Vancouver is completely locked into the moment. Fully electric. Red is… pic.twitter.com/NzA8SNhrhi
She adds Vancouver’s natural beauty is really setting the city apart from other cities across the country.
“The number two top Canadian destination for Canada Day travel is Calgary… but the Sea to Sky differentiators that Vancouver delivers are second to none.”
KAYAK says searches for car rentals are also up five per cent year-over-year, but Simic adds many people are looking to fly into YVR.
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“Vancouver is still among one of the most affordable options for Canada Day travel, with average airfare of around $370 each way, making it one of the most affordable domestic destinations.”
On a global scale, the travel company says, for Canadians, Vancouver is the second most popular place to visit — second only to Paris, France.
Simic says hosting the World Cup will likely be huge for tourism, which is music to the ears of businesses and the province, which has been banking on that after saying it would be spending up to $729 million on hosting responsibilities.
Meanwhile, KAYAK finds there appears to be renewed interest in travelling stateside. Searches are up six per cent versus this time last year, and it comes on the heels of recent Statistics Canada data that showed, for the first time in more than a year, there were back-to-back months where more people were heading to the U.S. for leisure. That trend dropped off shortly after the U.S. president was inaugurated early in 2025.