Vancouver levies extra 2.5 per cent accommodation tax to fund FIFA World Cup 2026
Visitors to Vancouver will be shelling out for an extra 2.5 per cent tax on short-term accommodations to help cover the costs of hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2026.
The major events municipal and regional district tax will charge $2.50 on every $100 paid for short-term lodgings, including hotel rooms and accommodations booked through Airbnb or Vrbo, starting Feb. 1.
The new tax will be in place for seven years until 2030 and could raise around $230 million in revenue to help pay for planning, staging and hosting FIFA 2026 matches in the city, the provincial government said Friday.
B.C. Finance Minister Katrine Conroy said in a statement that Whistler funded its involvement in the 2010 Winter Olympics in a similar way.
The tax in addition to the regular tax on accommodations, which is three per cent in B.C. Introduced in 1987, the tax is meant to raise revenue for local tourism marketing and programs.
