According to luxury travel company Embark Beyond, Taylor Swift’s European tour attracted five times more American tourists than the Paris Olympics. Many of them had seen Taylor Swift’s shows in the US more than once. The impact of this group of tourists was particularly evident in the European hospitality and hospitality sectors.
Hotels in Warsaw are likely to see record price increases during The Eras Tour , with room rates expected to rise by 154%. Stockholm is next with an estimated 119% increase in room rates and Liverpool is expected to see a 115% increase. In Vienna, Italy, Taylor Swift’s appearance will see room rates rise by 88%, followed by Edinburgh, Scotland, at 84% and Hamburg, Germany, at 82%. Lyon, France, will see a relatively small increase in hotel room rates, at 55%, followed by Zurich, Germany, at 53% and Essen, Germany, at 50%.
Smaller cities are expected to see higher hotel room rates, as most of the tourists are coming to these cities for the Taylor Swift concert, leading to “supply shortages.” Meanwhile, hotels in major tourist cities such as Paris, London, Madrid, Lisbon and Amsterdam, which often host major events, may see only modest increases. Prices in Paris are expected to rise by about 5%, while London will see a 9% increase, according to CNBC.
In May, Taylor Swift performed four nights at the La Defense Arena in Paris. The first night alone attracted more than 45,000 people. After France, the tour’s European stops include Sweden, Portugal, Spain, England, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Poland and Austria.
In the UK, according to research by Barclays bank, Taylor Swift fans spend an average of £848 ($1,080.1) on a package deal that includes concert tickets, accommodation, clothing and travel. Nearly 1.2 million fans are expected to attend a concert in the UK, with the average spend being 12 times the cost of a one-night tour, which costs £70. Overall, Swifties are expected to add an additional £997 million ($1.3 billion) to the UK economy.
“Taylor Swift is not just a musical icon, she is also an economic force. It is clear to see the influence and positive impact these events have on local economies,” said Lighthouse CEO Sean Fitzpatrick. Taylor will perform 15 shows of The Eras Tour in the UK, starting from June 7 to August 20. The current tour has already started to boost prices and consumer spending in the UK, challenging the Bank of England’s (BoE) efforts to curb inflation.
As investment bank TD Securities notes, as hundreds of thousands of Swifties flock to London in August to experience live shows, that economic momentum could prompt the BoE to delay its next rate cut. “We still expect the BoE to cut rates at its August meeting. However, subsequent inflation data could prompt the authorities to keep rates on hold in September,” analysts at TD Securities said. The BoE has two policy meetings on August 1 and September 19. The UK rate is currently at 5.25% – a 16-year high.
Of the 65 economists polled by Reuters, 63 believe the BoE will cut in August, while financial markets are betting on September. However, Taylor Swift’s concerts in the UK in August will certainly have an impact and change key inflation data enough to make the BoE rethink its plans. “The spike in hotel prices will be the most notable factor, potentially adding 0.30 percentage points to services inflation and 0.15 percentage points to overall inflation,” strategists Lucas Krishan and James Rossiter noted.
Previously, in July 2023, the US Federal Reserve (Fed) officials assessed that The Eras Tour had boosted the economies of US states, especially restaurants and hotels. By March this year, economists estimated that the singer’s concerts brought 350 – 500 million Singapore dollars (260 – 371.9 million USD) to the Singapore economy. Officials in the capital Edinburgh (Scotland) also said that Swift’s performances earlier this month helped the local economy earn an additional 77 million pounds (98 million USD).
The 100th show of The Eras Tour took place in Liverpool on June 13. As an important milestone, fans were excited to wait for a surprise announcement from Taylor at this show. However, the singer simply confirmed that The Eras Tour will officially end on November 23, 2024 in Toronto, Canada. There have been many rumors that Taylor Swift will bring the show back to Asia in 2025. However, with the recent announcement, this possibility is zero.
Sharing her feelings at the 100th show, Taylor Swift said: “You guys have done so much to be able to join this tour. You planned, considered what costumes to bring, and even memorized the lyrics… I especially want to spend the 100th show thinking about the sacrifices that fans have made for me, living in this moment together. I am truly grateful for everyone’s efforts to be able to attend The Eras Tour shows.”
“This is the first time I’ve admitted to myself that this tour is going to end in December,” she said before singing All Too Well . Taylor Swift kicked off her sold-out tour in Arizona (USA) on March 17, 2023. It became the highest-grossing tour of all time after surpassing $1 billion in revenue.