Taylor Swift fans are already planning their trips to Vancouver to see the superstar in concert this December.
But it seems like there may be some issues with securing accommodation for the Eras Tour.
The cost of a hotel room around Dec. 6, 7 and 8 have skyrocketed and the B.C. government’s rules limiting short-term rentals means less Airbnb options are also available.
However, B.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said Monday that the province won’t be changing those rules when major events roll into town.
“Anyone that suggests that just for these major events that we should bring in short-term rentals or relax the rules is just crazy,” he said.
“Because who wants to see people evicted? Just so Taylor Swift fans can have hotel rooms? That doesn’t make sense to anybody and certainly doesn’t make sense to me.”
Hotel rooms in downtown Vancouver are seeing big jumps for the Swift dates.
A room at the Quality Inn & Suites costs about $1,500 a night for the Dec. 6 weekend and about a quarter of that price around those dates.
The Fairmont Hotel downtown is sold out that weekend and the airport location will cost someone a little over $3,000 for the Swift weekend.
“Anywhere Taylor Swift goes, they see hotel prices go up,” Kahlon said.
“That’s not something that’s unique to British Columbia.”
The B.C. government said 1,400 hotel rooms are set to be developed in Vancouver but did not provide a timeline as to when they would be available.
The problem won’t be getting any better swiftly.
A 2023 Destination Vancouver report found hotel room demand will exceed supply in the cruel summer of 2026, so soccer fans will be in trouble when the FIFA World Cup rolls into town.
The City of Vancouver said it is working on a solution.
“We can look at a couple of instances downtown that could involve conversion or renovation of existing buildings,” councillor Sarah Kirby-Young told Global News.
“And we’re also seeing some really innovative proposals such as a floating hotel in Vancouver on the waterfront.”
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