December 26, 2024

Taylor Swift performs on stage during The Eras Tour on June 28, 2024 in Dublin, Ireland.

Charles McQuillan/tas24 | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

Taylor Swift’s Europe tour That’s the question that’s at the forefront of Nikita Rao’s mind when she’s planning where her family will vacation every summer.

Rao, her husband and two children, who live in Bethesda, Maryland, traveled overseas last weekend: They had tickets for the pop star’s concert in Amsterdam on Thursday.

The family planned their week-long itinerary around The Eras Tour, spending a few days in London before heading to the Netherlands for a show. Rao, 43, said they might visit both cities at some point in the future, but the Swift concert accelerated their schedule.

“My view is that we should do this – London and Amsterdam – because she will be there,” Rao said. “If I could get tickets, it would make the whole vacation exciting,” she said of her thought process.

Why Taylor Swift is Unique in Passion Travel

Taylor Swift fans gather outside the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium for a concert in Madrid, Spain, on May 29, 2024.

David Benito | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

It’s not just the Rao family.

Americans are flocking overseas to see Taylor Swift in perhaps the most prominent recent example of so-called “passion tourism,” according to travel experts.

Passion tourism (unsurprisingly) revolves around people’s passions. While location often matters, these tours often guided Experts say it depends on personal interests, hobbies or cultural activities.

This is not a new concept. In fact, there are many recent and upcoming examples: the annual Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in February; the April total solar eclipse in North America; the 2024 Paris Olympics, which kick off this month; and the ongoing European football championship in Germany, known as Euro cup).

“Whether it’s a concert or a sporting event, memorable events are driving travel trends,” Mastercard said. Recently written in its annual travel trends report.

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However, what makes Taylor Swift concerts unique in the world of passion travel, according to travel agents, is the widespread interest and enthusiasm among Americans who want to travel abroad.

“I’ve never seen such excitement about traveling to see an artist,” says Jessica Griscavage, a travel consultant and founder of Runway Travel.

She said a recent example that might be close was a Spice Girls concert in the 1990s.

Griscavage was responsible for organizing the Rao family’s itinerary and also organized separate Swift-centric trips to Paris for his daughter, mother and grandmother.

More than half of Americans, 53%, Identify as a fan Taylor Swift’s popularity, according to a Morning Consult poll. About 16% consider themselves “avid” fans.

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“Beyoncé is also very popular, but we don’t usually get requests like, ‘I have Beyoncé’s tickets to Europe and we want to do a trip around it,'” says Sophia, travel consultant and founder of Sophia Travel Malkovich said.

She arranged travel for two American clients who had tickets to Taylor’s performances in England and Switzerland respectively.

“Just as Grateful Dead fans are known to follow the band from city to city, becoming part of a unique community, Swifties often brings friends and family with her, making going to her concerts part of the experience,” said Vice President Joshua Joshua Friedlander said. Recently written About the so-called “express elevator”.

Traveling to new places is ‘inevitable’ for Swifties

According to Mastercard’s travel report, approximately 15.9 million Americans traveled abroad in the first quarter of 2024, a record high. Global consumer travel spending also hit a record high, the report said.

Experts say passion tourism often boosts the host country’s economy.

For example, Mastercard found that during Rio Carnival 2024, visitors spent 156% more than normal at restaurants, bars and grocery stores. According to the report, during the solar eclipse, overall restaurant sales in the United States increased by 71%.

Spectators look up to watch the solar eclipse at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on April 8, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Noor Photo | Getty Images

According to a recent analysis by Barclays, approximately 1.2 million fans will attend Taylor Swift’s concerts in four UK cities this summer: Edinburgh, Liverpool, Cardiff and London. Every fan will Average cost £848 Barclays estimated that tickets, travel, accommodation, clothing and other expenses totaled 997 million pounds (about 1,073 U.S. dollars).

Accommodation is the biggest expense after tickets, followed by travel, according to Barclays analysis.

Airbnb searches in European cities during Taylor Swift’s The Eras tour Up about 70% Relative to the same period in 2023, according to recent analysis.

Beyoncé is also important, but we don’t usually get requests like, “I have Beyoncé’s tickets to Europe and we want to do a tour around it.”

Sofia Malkovich

travel advisor

Rome and Paris have always been among Americans’ favorite travel destinations abroad. However, Chris Nulty, global head of corporate communications and public affairs at Airbnb, said it was “inevitable” that Swift fans would end up in a city they might have previously ignored, such as Edinburgh.

When concert tickets went on sale in Edinburgh last year, Americans’ searches for accommodation in the city jumped 500 percent, Naldi said.

The concerts “combine the opportunity to travel to incredible places with the opportunity to see their favorite artists,” he said.

Experts say household economics of ticket sales may also play a role. Some Swifties who are excluded from the U.S. market due to ticket costs may find it cheaper overall (or relative price) to purchase tickets and add in the associated travel costs of overseas concerts.

“Resale tickets in Europe are more reasonable than resale tickets in the U.S.,” said travel consultant Griscavage.

Additionally, “I think it’s really exciting to see her in a city outside of the United States,” she added. “It’s an interesting opportunity and people are willing to pay to see her.”

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