In a colorful display of commitment and savvy economic planning, legions of Taylor Swift admirers are embarking on an unusual venture: transatlantic travel to enjoy their beloved pop star belt out tunes in Europe. Deprived of the opportunity to revel in the pure artistry that defines Swift upon the last year’s U.S. concert tour, these fans are now flying to Europe to attend her 18-city Eras Tour, which is set to kick-off in enchanting Paris on Thursday.
Fueled by their unwavering love for this American singing sensation, they are following the path of the multifaceted and vibrant artist commonly referred to as Miss Americana, crossing the vast Atlantic over weeks to come. As per the declaration by the venue hosting the tour, an impressive 20% of tickets for her four consecutive sold-out concerts have been scooped up by these American enthusiasts. Swift’s next stop, Stockholm, is expected to play host to a crowd of approximately 10,000 concertgoers from the U.S.
Swift’s music might be available online, on platforms such as Disney+ that streams her Eras Tour documentary, but the lure of the live experience seems irresistible. Based on the data collected, the online travel heavyweight Expedia claims that “tour tourism,” a term it coined while studying travel patterns during Beyoncé’s Renaissance world tour, is a growing trend.
Fans coming to Europe justified the financial outlay in pursuit of Swift’s performance, citing that regulatory restrictions on ticket charges and resales make attending her concerts overseas a relatively cheaper option as compared to catching her live on home turf.
Expedia spokesperson Melanie Fish illustrated this fact by stating, “Wait a minute, I can either spend $1,500 to go see my favorite artist in Miami or use that same amount to buy a concert ticket, a round-trip plane ticket, and three nights in a hotel room.” This was indeed the case with Jennifer Warren, a 43-year-old Swift fan from St. Catharines, Ontario, who managed to secure tickets to the concert in Hamburg, Germany, thus turning her European vacation into a Swift-centric trip.
Taylor Swift fans are not the only ones patronizing their favorite artists through extensive travel. Music festivals like California’s Coachella and England’s Glastonbury have consistently attracted international travelers, and residencies by the likes of Elton John, Lady Gaga, and Adele in Las Vegas have experienced similar influxes. Industry analysts point to this shift in consumer attitude towards “experiences” rather than material possessions as the primary propellant of this new wave of fan-driven tourism.
Natalia Lechmanova, the chief Europe economist for the Mastercard Economics Institute, adds that this inclination is likely a result of the broader cultural re-calibration in the aftermath of the global pandemic. Moreover, as Swift progresses through Europe, local restaurants, hotels, and retail outfits stand to benefit greatly, a phenomenon buoyed by the strong performance of the U.S. dollar against the euro.
Swift’s tour appears to be spurring a revival in the tourism sector in the respective European cities, promising a considerable economic windfall. Take, for example, the city of Stockholm, Sweden, which is gearing up to accommodate an influx of 120,000 fans from 130 countries. This is expected to bring around $46 million into the city’s economy as fans spend on accommodations, dining, and local hospitality.
However, despite the current wave of enthusiasm, experts are divided on the long-term potential of this trend. Some see it as an anomaly, a brief craze that will eventually die down. Others, like Expedia’s Fish, views this as the start of something more enduring. Indeed, only time will reveal whether future concerts tours such as those of Billie Eilish, Usher, and other artists scheduled for next year, will be able to replicate the Taylor Swift phenomenon.
