As hordes of fans cross borders to attend Taylor Swift, Coldplay and
Blackpink concerts, ticket costs and hotel rates also rise for the
occasion.
To say Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is still going strong would be an
outlandish understatement. With seemingly infinite energy, the pop star
has been wowing audiences for months and will continue to do so, with
performances set through 2024 in South America, Australia, Asia and
Europe, before returning to North America.
Entire destinations have been recharged by the Eras Tour
— one study estimates that Swift’s visit to Los Angeles gave the
metropolis a US$325 million economic bump, for example — and the pattern
is so clear that the phenomenon has even been given its own name,
“Swiftonomics”. I saw a small glimpse of it myself, actually; while at
LAX in mid-August, I watched countless travellers departing the city
post-concert, proudly wearing the merch purchased during Swift’s mini
residency at SoFi Stadium.
Travel advisor Samantha McNeely has felt the effects of Swiftonomics
personally. Working out of Louisiana, the European vacation specialist
with We Do the World Getaways has received multiple inquiries from
clients looking to build a full trip around a Taylor Swift concert.
Here’s what we learned about Swiftonomics merging with the travel
industry, via McNeely.
Samantha McNeely of We Do the World Getaways is planning several trips that include one of Taylor Swift’s performances in Europe. Photo Credit: Samantha McNeely
Tell us what you’re seeing in terms of Taylor Swift-related travel.
We saw chaos here in the US in terms of getting tickets, but it seems
that it may have been an easier experience getting them for shows
outside the country. Once [a client] has tickets, they want to make it a
whole vacation; if you are flying all the way to Europe, you want to
really experience things there.
So, it’s not just money going to the hotels and food in the city of
the concerts — these clients are spending weeks travelling throughout
nearby cities and even nearby countries. The boost in the economy in
Europe may not be centralised to the specific city of the concert, but
[it will be] more widespread than we saw here in the US.
You’ve had clients reach out specifically for vacations
inspired by the Eras Tour. How did this come about, and what do those
itineraries look like?
It truly is me making itineraries based specifically off of the client and what they enjoy, but making sure they are in the right city at the right time for Taylor.
The first client reached out via Facebook and said, “Hey, someone I
know said you specialise in Europe; would you be open to helping with
this?” I immediately said "of course,” because I love planning trips
throughout Europe, and because I personally love Taylor Swift.
Then that person gave my name to another friend who was going but
wanted a completely different itinerary. So, it has been a domino
effect. All of my clients travelling for the European leg of the tour
have turned it into a whole 10- to 14-day trip.
What are some examples of trips you’re planning that include the Eras Tour in Europe?
Travellers of all types are opting for Swift tourism - from a mother-daughter duo to a married couple. Photo Credit: Instagram/Taylor Swift
The two friends going to the concert in Zurich, Switzerland, are very
different. For one, we’ve planned a mom-and-adult daughter trip. They
are flying into Berlin and doing a concentration camp tour, moving to
Munich for castle-hopping and then to Zurich for the concert. From there
they go to Milan, Venice and finally to Rome.
Another itinerary is for a husband-and-wife pair. The husband is more
outdoorsy, so we have tied that in. They will start in Milan, then go
to Zermatt, Geneva, Interlaken and finish in Zurich. And from Zurich, we
are working on day trips to Lucerne, Rhine Falls and contemplating
others. So, it truly is me making itineraries based specifically off of
the client and what they enjoy, but making sure they are in the right
city at the right time for Taylor.
Tell us a little about client budgets for these trips.
It’s not just money going to the hotels and food in the city of the concerts — these clients are spending weeks travelling throughout nearby cities and even nearby countries.
Budgets have been different for every client once they get ahold of
the tickets — some want first-class flights and luxury resorts, others
have a more modest budget of maybe US$200 per night, or less — and both
types of clients want and deserve the same kind of amazing experience
while travelling and the same amount of attention from their travel
advisor. And it is doable.
I have so many favourite properties in different cities all over
Europe, but I love doing the research and finding the hidden properties
that are more affordable, and maybe overlooked.
Is concert-inspired travel something new, or new to you? Who’s travelling like this?
This is new to me personally. I have helped with hotel accommodations
and flights for concerts in the US, but that’s generally a quick
weekend trip. I have never had a client reach out over a concert that is
taking place across the world. Taylor Swift’s following is completely
on another level, and there is no distance too far to go to see her.
For the people in their late 20s to early-mid 30s, this tour is
special — we have essentially grown up with Taylor. I know from my own
teenage years; I was so connected to her earlier albums, and as I have
aged and matured, that connection never left me, from childhood
experiences, to heartbreak, to celebrations and new life experiences.
She has in a sense “been there for us,” and helped us express our
emotions through her music and lyrics. So, the Eras Tours is really
taking people on a walk down memory lane.
These trips are generational, from daughter and mother to husbands
and wives to childhood best friends. Clients travelling for her concert —
it turns into a bonding experience outside of just their love/fandom
for her. They are booking experiences that we don’t necessarily have in
the US, and it’s exposing these fans to new cultures, which is amazing.
What would you share with other advisors about concert-related travel like this?
One major thing is to truly understand the client and their love for
the artist. Be open-minded and support them in their fandom.
I love Taylor Swift myself, so it doesn’t seem silly to me at all for
people to travel across the world to see her, but I know not everyone
understands that kind of fandom. If you are excited about what they are
wanting to do, they will feel connected and supported by you.
Source: TravelAge West