Airfares jump and hotel prices soar on World Cup demand spike

Airfare and lodging costs rose sharply in June as World Cup demand surged in Canada’s host cities of Toronto and Vancouver, according to Statistics Canada. Travel accommodation increased 10% overall in June and about 20% year over year in Ontario and British Columbia. Car rentals climbed nearly 7% nationwide versus June 2025, after prices had fallen by a similar amount in May, signaling a soccer-linked uptick. The agency said airfares jumped nearly 10% year over year last month, the largest increase since February 2023, driven by domestic travel demand and higher jet fuel costs amid the Middle East war. In Vancouver, private business jet arrivals rose 9% to 724 between June 8 and July 12, averaging 28 on match days, with peaks of 39 on Canada–Qatar and 41 on July 7. Flight volumes tended to spike on game days, though Toronto’s pattern was less clear.