LONDON (AP) — Many dedicated Taylor Swift fans who missed out on her U.S. concert tour last year or were put off by the high ticket prices have come up with a creative solution: Travel to Europe. The iconic singer is set to start her 18-city Europe leg of the highly successful Eras Tour in Paris this Thursday, and a significant number of Swifties are planning to make the journey across the Atlantic to catch Miss Americana in action. The venue hosting Swift’s shows reported that 20% of the tickets for her sold-out performances were purchased by Americans. Stockholm, the next destination on the tour, is anticipating around 10,000 attendees from the U.S.
Attending a concert may seem like an unusual reason to travel to a foreign country, especially when fans can easily watch the Eras Tour from home through the documentary available on Disney+. However, according to online travel company Expedia, there is a growing trend known as “tour tourism”, which was first noted during Beyoncé’s Renaissance world tour. Some North American fans who are planning to travel overseas for the Eras Tour have found that it may actually be more cost-effective due to stricter restrictions on ticket fees and resales in Europe. This realization has led them to opt for traveling abroad to see Swift perform live, sometimes at a lower cost than attending a concert closer to home. Melanie Fish, a spokesperson and travel expert at Expedia, noted that some fans have made the comparison between spending $1,500 on a concert in Miami versus using the same amount to purchase a concert ticket, fly round-trip, and stay in a hotel for three nights. For example, Jennifer Warren, a 43-year-old fan from St. Catharines, Ontario, was unable to find reasonably priced tickets in the U.S. for the Eras Tour. Undeterred, she and her family decided to make a European vacation out of it and ended up attending the concert in Hamburg, Germany.
“You get the chance to explore new places and see your favorite artist or performer live, so there are many benefits to it,” said Warren, who works for a mutual insurance company. She managed to score three VIP tickets near the stage, which she describes as “luck by chance,” costing 600 euros ($646) each. Coincidentally, Swift announced tour dates in Toronto, which Warren can easily drive to from her home. The resale tickets for the event are already being sold at 3,000 Canadian dollars ($2,194) for the worst seats. The trend of fans following their favorite musicians on tour is not a new concept. The term “groupie” originated in the late 1960s as a slightly negative word for dedicated rock band fans. In the 1970s, Deadheads traveled from city to city to see the Grateful Dead perform. More recently, music festivals such as Coachella in California and Glastonbury in England, as well as concert residencies by artists like Elton John, Lady Gaga, and Adele in Las Vegas, have attracted fans to visit new places they may not have considered otherwise, Fish pointed out.
Experts in the travel and entertainment industry are noticing a growing desire among consumers for “experiences” rather than material possessions following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This shift in consumer behavior is seen as a cultural adjustment that has taken place on a large scale. Natalia Lechmanova, the leading European economist at the Mastercard Economics Institute, believes that this change goes beyond just a shift in preferences but indicates a transformation in the collective mindset. As Taylor Swift embarks on her tour across Europe, Lechmanova predicts a significant increase in business for restaurants and hotels near concert venues, similar to what was observed in U.S. cities during her previous tours. Additionally, the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the euro may lead to higher spending on merchandise, apparel, and beauty products by fans attending the Eras Tour, as well as supplies for the friendship bracelets exchanged among attendees. Former college roommates Lizzy Hale and Mitch Goulding, who had initially planned to attend the Eras Tour in Los Angeles, decided to extend their concert experience by trying to secure tickets for shows in Paris, London, or Edinburgh. Their decision to travel to Europe for the concerts was a way to make up for a canceled trip in 2020 due to the pandemic, which was originally planned to celebrate Goulding’s birthday.
Goulding was able to score VIP tickets for one of Swift’s concerts in Stockholm, which he will be attending with Hale and two other friends as part of their 10-day trip that also includes stops in Amsterdam and Copenhagen. Hale, who is expecting her first child, expressed how combining travel with music is a special experience for them as they are fans of both. The impact of Swift’s concerts on the local economy, often referred to as “Swiftonomics” and the “Swift lift,” can be significant. Singapore’s exclusive agreement with Swift to be her only tour stop in Southeast Asia earlier this year sparked jealousy among other countries in the region. While no European governments have raised concerns about not being included in the Europe leg of the tour, some fans were surprised to see smaller cities like Gelsenkirchen, with a population of around 264,000, chosen as tour stops in Germany. Airbnb reported a 337% increase in searches for accommodation in U.K. cities where Swift is performing in June and August, including Edinburgh, Liverpool, Cardiff, and London, when tickets went on sale last summer. This surge in demand is seen as an example of “passion tourism,” where travel is driven by cultural events like concerts.
In Stockholm, an estimated 120,000 visitors from 130 different countries, including 10,000 from the U.S., are expected to descend upon Sweden’s capital this month, according to Carl Bergqvist, the Chief Economist for the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce. With Stockholm being the only Scandinavian stop on Swift’s tour, airlines have added extra flights from nearby countries like Denmark, Finland, and Norway to accommodate fans attending the shows from May 17-19. Despite the surge in prices for hotel rooms during the tour dates, all 40,000 rooms in the city are already booked, Bergqvist mentioned. The influx of concert visitors is anticipated to inject around 500 million Swedish kroner (over $46 million) into the local economy, not including expenses related to Swift tickets or travel to Sweden. Excitement is building up among nightclubs, restaurants, and bars in the city as they plan Taylor Swift-themed events such as karaoke nights, quizzes, and post-concert dance parties to cater to the fans. One concert-goer, Caroline Matlock from Houston, who attended Swift’s show in Texas over a year ago, is now gearing up to see the 3 1/2-hour performance in Stockholm. Initially hesitant, Matlock was convinced by a friend to join the trip, which also includes visits to Oslo and Gothenburg. She looks forward to interacting with Swifties from different parts of the world and anticipates a unique experience compared to the enthusiastic American fans. As the music tourism trend gains momentum, questions arise about its sustainability with upcoming world tours by artists like Billie Eilish and Usher next year. While some believe in the growing appeal of combining travel with concert experiences, others like travel consultant Kat Morga from Nashville are skeptical due to potential obstacles like language barriers and logistical challenges in ticket purchases. Despite differing opinions, one thing is clear – the Taylor Swift Effect leaves a mark, albeit in varying degrees, on travel patterns but is not a definitive game-changer for the tourism industry, according to industry experts like Glenn Fogel.