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 $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 travelers departing the city post-concert, proudly wearing the merch purchased during Swift’s mini residency at SoFi Stadium.
Samantha McNeely of We Do the World Getaways is planning several trips that include one of Taylor Swift’s performances in Europe.
Credit: 2023 Samantha McNeely
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.
Tell us what you’re seeing in terms of Taylor Swift-related travel.
We saw chaos here in the U.S. 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.
The boost in the economy in Europe may not be centralized to the specific city of the concert, but more widespread than we saw here in the U.S.
So, it’s not just money going to the hotels and food in the city of the concerts — these clients are spending weeks traveling throughout nearby cities and even nearby countries. The boost in the economy in Europe may not be centralized to the specific city of the concert, but [it will be] more widespread than we saw here in the U.S.
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?
The first client reached out via Facebook and said, “Hey, someone I know said you specialize 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 traveling for the European leg of the tour have turned it into a whole 10- to 14-day trip.
All of my clients traveling 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?
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.
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 $200 per night, or less — and both types of clients want and deserve the same kind of amazing experience while traveling and the same amount of attention from their travel advisor. And it is doable.
I have so many favorite 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 traveling like this?
This is new to me personally. I have helped with hotel accommodations and flights for concerts in the U.S., 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.
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.
These trips are generational, from daughter and mother to husbands and wives to childhood best friends. Clients traveling 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 U.S., 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.
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.
