As sports fans head for the Winter Olympic Games that begin Feb. 12 in Vancouver, B.C., it will be fun to see how many of them actually get there. If recent history is an indication, a few could end up six hours south in Vancouver, Wash., where the only curling will be at Mike & Irma's Art of Hair.

Residents of Vancouver USA are accustomed to people confusing their city with the larger one of the same name. But with the Pacific Northwest about to host its first Olympics, the stakes for travelers are higher than ever.

"We've had people asking us about how close we are to the ferry terminal, what hotels are close to the event," said Jennifer Kirby of the Southwest Washington Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"When we kind of get around to saying they may be calling the wrong Vancouver, we jokingly say, 'But you're welcome to come to Vancouver, Wash. We've got some great hotels anyway. You might find it a bit of a drive to get to the events each day, but we're happy to have you.'"

2010 Winter Olympics

Where: Vancouver, B.C.

When: Feb. 12-28

Tickets/travel packages: Quantities are very limited. Check www.cosport.com for details.

General manager Gerry Link said that when his hotel opened in 2005, it chose a name to avoid confusion: Hilton Vancouver Washington. Still, his staff has received a handful of calls about reservations during the Games -- even one in the past week.

"Most usually result in the person on the other end of the phone kind of saying, 'Whoops, my bad,'" Link said. "Or they rather sheepishly go, 'I guess I need to refresh my geography.'"

But research might further complicate the matter. Both Vancouvers are port cities named after sea captain George Vancouver.

"We actually had somebody once who had come across the bridge from Oregon, saw the Vancouver signs and followed the signs to the visitors center," said Kirby of the Southwest Washington Convention and Visitors Bureau. "They were asking questions about Vancouver, B.C., and it was like, 'Well, you didn't even go through the border crossing.'"

It would be understandable if Europeans or Asians trekking the globe for the Olympics confused identically named cities that sit 300 miles apart. But Vancouver, Wash., hoteliers say that most reservation gaffes have been made by people without foreign accents.

At least the two Vancouvers aren't a continent apart. Portland, Maine, another city named first but now overshadowed by its better-known twin, sometimes sees travelers at the jetport (PWM, not PDX) seeking the West Coast Portland, said Jennifer Tomlinson of the Greater Portland Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"We've literally had people come to our desk and say, 'No, I just called them. They said that they're right outside of arrivals, but I can't see them anywhere,'" Tomlinson said. "All we can say is, 'Oh, my. Do you want to be in Maine, or are you supposed to be in Oregon?'"

Many media outlets already have highlighted the Vancouver/Vancouver mix-up, and NBC's Today Show is planning a segment. Travel officials in Washington are delighted.

"We look at it as an opportunity to continue to sell our Vancouver," said Link of the Hilton Vancouver Washington.

The idea to rename the city "Fort Vancouver" to set it apart has flamed up and died repeatedly in recent decades. Southwest Washingtonians, it seems, are proud of their home and the things that make it unique.

After all, while you won't see gold-medal figure skating in Washington's Vancouver this February, you might see Tonya Harding.