VANCOUVER ONE CITY, MULTIPLE GETAWAYS Vancouver builds bleisure demand by treating pre- and post-conference time as part of the event story, then making it easy for planners and delegates to act on that story through digital tools, partners and proximity. “The biggest evolution was taking the Show Your Badge program digital, which helps promote our venues and attractions. As an online program, it’s far more accessible and easier to promote on a conference app or website,” says Michael Drake, vice- president, meetings, conventions and events, Destination Vancouver. The program points delegates to downtown offers and major attractions, such as the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain, while welcome packages and room drops often add a tangible “sense of place” with local and Indigenous-made foods such as tea, chocolate, preserves and smoked salmon. Vancouver doesn’t formally track bleisure patterns, Drake says, but the evidence shows up in how people plan around events. “We certainly hear, anecdotally, that it’s strong. We hear from our sister destinations, such as Whistler and Victoria, that when there’s a conference in Vancouver, they will see executives or small groups planning trips before or after.” Experience It Like a Local: FOODIES • Vancouver Foodie Tours at Granville Island Market combine sampling with a guided “how to shop” experience highlighting local cheeses, meats, wines and seafood. • Swallow Tail Culinary Adventures specializes in mushroom foraging and crab catch-and-cook experiences guided by chefs, fishers and foragers. HISTORY BUFFS • The Museum of Anthropology at UBC, newly renovated, is world-renowned for Northwest Coast First Nations and global Indigenous artworks. • Gastown Historic District—Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhood and a National Historic Site—blends preserved architecture with a lively scene of boutiques, restaurants and bars. NATURE + WELLNESS • Stanley Park delivers a natural reset between sessions: walk, bike or run the seawall, or join Talaysay Tours’ “Talking Trees” experience with a First Nations guide. • Beyond the core, Capilano Suspension Bridge Park and Grouse Mountain provide high-impact nature experiences that fit easily into half-day windows. CULTURE SEEKERS • Vancouver Art Gallery is a major institution for Canadian, Indigenous and Asian-Pacific art. • Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art offers an accessible downtown touchpoint for Indigenous artworks and stories. COOL ACCOMMODATIONS • Skwachàys Lodge is an Indigenous boutique hotel and social enterprise that pairs accommodations with on- site housing and studio space for 24 Indigenous artists. • For a “live like a local” neighbourhood feel, OPUS Vancouver in Yaletown offers 96 spacious rooms and suites featuring vibrant colour palettes and pop-deco art. CONVENTION CREDS • Vancouver Convention Centre: 466,000 sq. ft. of total meeting space • 13,000 guestrooms in the destination • Hotel news: The former Shangri-La Vancouver is undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation as it rebrands as a Park Hyatt hotel in 2026. Stanley Park seawall Capilano Suspension Bridge Grouse Mountain Stanley Park Museum of Anthropology Spring 2026 | Ignitemag.ca | 59
