The Taylor Swift frenzy has swept across Europe as ‘The Eras Tour’ recently made a stop in Paris, France, before heading to 17 other cities in the region. The sensational performances by the American star are predicted to provide a significant boost to the economy.
‘The Eras Tour’ Sparks Excitement in France Following over a month of rest after six explosive shows in Singapore, Taylor Swift continues to bring ‘The Eras Tour’ to 18 cities in Europe. Kicking off this leg of the tour are four shows by the “Snake Queen” at Paris La Défense Arena in France from May 9th to May 12th. The return of the hitmaker with her multi-billion-dollar tour immediately caused a stir as she continued to treat fans to 46 hit songs spanning her musical “eras.”
Notably, Taylor’s latest seven songs from the recently released album “The Tortured Poets Department” were added to the setlist after cutting some old songs. Fans in France were thrilled to be the first audience to witness their idol perform hits from the latest album, including “But Daddy I Love Him,” “So High School,” “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?,” “Down Bad,” “Fortnight,” “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived,” and “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.”
Forbes estimates that around 42,000 fans meet Taylor Swift each night in France before she takes ‘The Eras Tour’ to Sweden, Portugal, Spain, the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Poland, and Austria. It’s noted that a large number of fans from the US traveled to France to see Love Story singer perform as ticket prices in Europe are much cheaper than those for shows in her homeland, thus saving them thousands of dollars.
One fan named Georg’Ann Daly decided to celebrate her 23rd birthday by enjoying her idol’s show in France, despite having to go through a long journey: taking a domestic flight from Nashville to Chicago (US) then heading to London (UK) and catching a train to Paris. “I have always been obsessed with Taylor Swift,” she shared her reason with AFP. Another fan, Noah (20 years old), said he bought tickets to see all four nights of Taylor’s concerts in Paris after using up to 22 email addresses to hunt for tickets. Moreover, some fervent fans of the singer even camped in Paris from May 7th to ensure they wouldn’t miss this valuable opportunity.
Frederic Longuépée, CEO of Paris La Défense Arena, revealed to NBC News that among the crowd attending Taylor Swift’s performances in Paris, 20 to 30% are Americans. Hotels and restaurants in Paris were reportedly fully booked over the weekend, and this was seen as an effective test for the city’s infrastructure and security ahead of another major event this summer: the Paris 2024 Olympics. “For these four nights, we will be the center of the world, which is very important to us as it’s clearly a rehearsal event for the Olympics,” he said.
Europe Rakes in Profits Thanks to the Taylor Swift Storm Taylor Swift’s sweeping tour across Europe is predicted to be a significant boost to the economy of the continent.
According to Forbes, Jack Ezon, founder of the travel company Embark Beyond, noted that in Paris, the average room rate for luxury hotels this week has increased by 36% compared to the same period last year, coinciding with the Grammy-winning star’s four-night performance. A report from Paris La Défense Arena shows that merchandise sales during this time doubled the previous record.
After Paris, the next stop for ‘The Eras Tour’ is Stockholm (Sweden) next weekend. Carl Bergqvist, Chief Economist of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, said about 120,000 international spectators (including about 10,000 from the US) are expected to flock to the Swedish capital this month for Taylor Swift. He revealed that Stockholm is the only city in the Scandinavian region of Northern Europe where ‘The Eras Tour’ stops, and airlines have added flights from Denmark, Finland, and Norway to meet the travel demand of people coming here to see the performances from May 17th to 19th.
Bergqvist disclosed that 40,000 hotel rooms in the city have been sold out despite the skyrocketing prices during the concert days. He estimated that concert-goers are expected to “pump” around over $46 million into the local economy during their stay. This figure does not include the money they spent on tickets to see Taylor Swift or on tickets to get to Sweden. “So, this will have a very large impact on tourism in Sweden and especially Stockholm,” he added.
Meanwhile, The Guardian reported that some cities in Europe have reported a surge in demand for hotels and short-term rentals during the summer when the Taylor Swift storm hits. In Edinburgh (Scotland), Liverpool (England), and Cardiff (Wales), rooms at the Travelodge chain during the period of Taylor Swift’s concerts in June have been sold out since August 2023, a month after tickets for the performances were sold.
Business Insider reported that in December last year, vacation rental data company AirDNA observed that short-term rental demand during Taylor Swift’s tour dates in Vienna (Austria) and Warsaw (Poland) this summer had increased by about 2,000%.
Not only does it bring in huge profits for the hotel and lodging industry, the influx of audiences to Europe to see Taylor Swift’s performances also generates significant revenue for the economy as their excitement can be turned into generous spending on food, shopping, entertainment, and more. Also, by attending Taylor Swift’s concerts, many people decide to turn their trip to Europe into an extended vacation.
Natalia Lechmanova, Chief Economist at Mastercard Economics Institute, noted that compared to last year’s US tour leg, Taylor Swift’s European leg is expected to have an even greater economic impact this summer, with a strong transportation network facilitating easy access to venues and boosting economic benefits across Europe. “Similar to the US, smaller cities like Liverpool or Lyon may be more heavily impacted than mid-sized centers like London or Paris,” she added.
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