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Taylor Swift fans flocked to Liverpool last week for the first UK show of her sold-out “Eraser Tour,” but they weren’t just locals in the crowd: Among the more than 55,000 Swift fans who packed Anfield Stadium were thousands thought to be from North America, plus some who traveled from as far away as India, China and the Philippines.
While precise booking data isn’t publicly available, travel site Expedia reports that search interest in Liverpool is up 875% from last year, likely due to Swift announcing tour dates in the city. Meanwhile, searches for Warsaw, Poland, are up 1,130%, according to Expedia, with bookings tied to Swift’s concert there in August. Outside of these top two cities, Swift fans boosted Expedia searches for cities where she’ll be touring Europe in 2024 by nearly 65% between May and August. You could call this the “Taylor Tourism Effect.”
In a recent survey conducted by Expedia, nearly 70% of respondents said they’re more likely to go to a concert outside their hometown, especially if it’s cheaper. Over 40% believe traveling for a concert is an excuse to visit new places. This has not only led to increased bookings on Expedia to lesser known destinations (such as Liverpool over London), but it’s also a major driver of local economies.
Swift isn’t the only one driving the “tourism” business. Last year, American fans flocked to Europe for Beyoncé’s “Renaissance Tour.” Expedia’s list of top tourism destinations this year includes some surprising cities: Kuala Lumpur (where Dua Lipa plays in November), Edmonton (this year’s stops include Avril Lavigne, Zach Bryan and Bruce Springsteen) and Mexico City, where the likes of Jonas Brothers, Niall Horan and The Killers are visiting. While hotel rates in big cities like New York and Chicago can run into the hundreds of dollars, Expedia has rates starting at $91 in Kuala Lumpur and $119 in Mexico City and Warsaw, proving that these so-called “destination dummies” can offer the best value for concert fans.
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Besides Swift, what’s the top summer ticket? Expedia says Justin Timberlake is the top search interest on the site, with his upcoming concerts in Amsterdam and Munich “driving demand” for hotel bookings more than Swift. In the US, Expedia has seen an uptick in bookings for smaller towns like Hershey, Pennsylvania, and Lexington, Kentucky, with travel searches for more affordable accommodations to coincide with Timberlake’s show dates up 1,400% and 800%, respectively.
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Expedia is best known for offering accommodations and experiences (like guided tours and sightseeing packages), but the site also sells sports and concert tickets on its resale marketplace. As of this writing, tickets for the 2024 Eras Tour start at $408, and they’re all backed by Expedia’s money-back guarantee.
As for tips on how to save money on seeing Swift (or any other artist) in concert, in addition to exploring the less-common destinations mentioned above, Expedia suggests considering commuting to the concert venue instead of staying in the city where the concert is held. Doing so can often save you hundreds of dollars on lodging. The site also notes that Saturday night is often the most expensive night to stay in a hotel. If an artist is performing multiple dates, try to choose a weekday or Sunday.
