Taylor Swift coming to Vancouver: Good news for businesses but where will fans stay?
Posted November 2, 2023 10:21 am.
Last Updated November 2, 2023 1:04 pm.
It’s official — Taylor Swift has made Vancouver fans’ Wildest Dreams come true, announcing Thursday that she will be bringing The Eras Tour to the city next year.
But it’s not just Swifties who are celebrating — the three shows set to be played at BC Place are good news for local businesses.
Ian Tostenson, president and CEO of the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association, says that while the concert dates are still over a year away, making a reservation now if you can, isn’t the worst idea.
“And get prepared because, I would imagine, the entire downtown — every restaurant, every hotel room — will be absolutely full. And that’s huge. It’s like Christmas for us when these sort of things happen so, yeah, we’re really thrilled,” he told CityNews.
Swift’s Vancouver concert announcement comes at a critical time for restaurants and other businesses, Tostenson notes, given inflation and other pressures.
“Any time you get sales like this, it’s cash flow. It doesn’t necessarily mean more profit,” though it can help the bottom line, he added.
“Our margins are really tight and, in fact, in some cases, non-existent. So, that’s one thing. But when you have an uptick in business like this, because of Taylor Swift, what you’re doing is significantly improving your cash flow. So that’s, that goes a long way.”
The pop superstar will be in Vancouver for three straight nights at the end of 2024 — Dec. 6, 7, and 8.
It’s also around the time when many small businesses who applied for the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) have to pay the outstanding amount of their loans back to the federal government.
“We wish this was happening this weekend,” Tostenson joked, noting the CEBA repayment deadlines, but added, “Nevertheless, we’ll take it whenever, when it comes. … Either way, it’s a win for us.”
Ingrid Jarrett, president and CEO of the British Columbia Hotel Association, is also “thrilled” by the concert news.
“I would think that there would be a lot of people that would be as happy as I am to hear that news,” she told CityNews.
Tourism Minister Lana Popham says the “thousands and thousands of people” expected to descend on Vancouver will contribute to the city in an “unbelievable” way.
“The Swiftie concerts are huge economic drivers wherever they go, and people travel from far away to come in to see her. So we will definitely see our B.C. residents trying to take advantage of this amazing opportunity, but we will also see people that are arriving here that are not just overnight guests — they’re going to be spending time here,” she explained, noting that will translate into spending at restaurants, shops, and accommodation, not just in Vancouver, but across the region.
She couldn’t quantify exactly what the economic drive will be, however, Popham says it’ll be “enormous.”
The president and CEO of the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association (DVBIA) also echoes the anticipated benefit the concerts will bring to the city, noting “we’re still coming out of the pandemic,” and that any little bit helps.
“Any opportunity to bring revenue into downtown Vancouver is really important,” said Jane Talbot, adding, “we’ve seen a $5 billion overall economic impact in the U.S. from” Swift’s tours.
However, Talbot is among those wondering where exactly the thousands of visitors to the Vancouver region will stay.
Hotel shortage, Airbnb restrictions raise concerns
While there’s no doubt the concerts will draw people in from far and wide, the Swift announcement comes as Vancouver continues to deal with a shortage of hotel rooms.
The shows will also be taking place after the BC NDP’s restrictions on short-term rentals come into effect across the province.
“I see some things that I worry a little bit about, a year from now, in terms of where people are going to stay because of the recent changes in short-term rentals. I’m not quite sure what the effect is going to be, but I do know that we’ve got a shortage of hotel rooms. So that’s going to be a challenge, how do we accommodate that?” Tostenson asked.
Talbot says Vancouver had hosted big events before, telling CityNews she has “full faith” in the city’s ability to “properly execute on this concert.”
However, she recommends people book early — if they want to stay close to Vancouver or BC Place.
“Yes, the hotels will fill up, absolutely,” Talbot said.
“Downtown Vancouver doesn’t have enough hotel rooms to meet our current needs, and then, add in a large-scale event like this and it will mean that some people won’t be able to stay downtown. And, unfortunately, they’re going to have to book in cities surrounding Vancouver. Ideally, that wouldn’t have to happen.”
BC United was quick to criticize the provincial NDP over its recent STR announcement.
“People needing a place to stay in Vancouver will be looking at a blank space because of the BCNDP’s Airbnb ban,” Karin Kirkpatrick, the BCU shadow minister for Housing and Childcare, and Vancouver-area MLA, said on X.
“This is exactly why we proposed amendments to exempt major events. 70k attendance or more. 23k hotel rooms. Book now!”
However, Popham doesn’t seem to be too worried about how the STR rules will affect the situation.
“Vancouver, as a city, they already have a primary-residence requirement for Airbnb, so I don’t think you’re going to see very much change there. Potentially, the illegal operators will not be there anymore, but we have plenty of accommodation that’s available in those platforms and, of course, the hotel industry is very excited too,” she said.
The Vancouver shows are presented by Rogers Communications Inc.
The three dates will be the first time Swift plays in Vancouver in nearly a decade. She last hit the stage at B.C. Place during her 1989 World Tour in August 2015.
Verified Fan registration is now open for the newly added Vancouver shows. Fans can register here until Saturday, Nov. 4, at 5 p.m.
Tickets go on sale on Nov. 9 and only fans who received an email confirming access will be able to join the queue. Selected fans will receive a unique access code and link via text message the day prior to to the Verified Fan Onsale.
Others will be waitlisted and could be given access if there is remaining inventory.
Rogers is the parent company of this station.
-With files from Michael Ranger, Sonia Aslam, Dean Recksiedler, Charlie Carey, and Liza Yuzda
