The Olympics in Salt Lake really did not make me want to go to Salt Lake. I mean, when it's not Winter, and you can't go skiing, what do you do there other than go to church?
Visitors, and viewers, will see Vancouver as a metropolitan city that they can enjoy year round.
They will see that you can go to Whistler, play in the snow, and come back to Vancouver and have dinner on a patio in mild temperatures.
The Summer Olympics are more successful in showcasing a real city, in my mind. Because they are usually in major cities. They have made me want to visit Athens, Beijing, etc.
Heck they could even change my mind about Rio, from gang infested murderous city, to, hmm, maybe I'll visit but not bring anything worth more than $40
Vancouver is the first "big" city to host the Winter Olympics. I imagine, they'll have a similar effect on people.