Taylor Swift heads to Europe next summer. Hotels are already selling out.
The economic juggernaut that is Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” is crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
If you luckily snagged tickets, plan on using some of your holiday money to book your European hotel sooner rather than later — or run the risk of it being a "Cruel Summer" with no place to stay.
Hotels in Edinburgh are already 70% booked for June 7 and 8, the first two nights Swift performs at the city’s Murrayfield Stadium, according to forward-looking data from hotel industry research provider STR. Occupancy levels dip to 53% on June 9, the final night of Swift’s Edinburgh tour arc.
Occupancy rates already exceed 50% on the tour dates of other U.K. cities like Cardiff on June 18 and Liverpool on June 13 and 14. Occupancy rates are approaching 50% in Dublin for all three nights of Swift’s tour stop at the Irish capital’s Aviva Stadium.
“If you look at the U.K. market, especially the regional U.K. market, those seem to have the higher occupancy rates during the concert dates, and that is definitely the Taylor Swift effect,” Cristina Balekjian, a U.K.-based director of hospitality analytics at STR’s parent company CoStar Group, said.
Swift’s Aug. 1-3 tour dates (where booked occupancy ranges from 31% to 38%) in Warsaw, Poland, are the only dates for 2024 where the city has hotel bookings above the 20% occupancy threshold.
But don’t let occupancy rates do all the talking. Average daily rates are already sky-high in certain European cities Swift passes through next summer.
Most Marriott and Hilton-affiliated hotels in popular neighborhoods in Paris for Swift’s opening night at Paris La Defense Arena on May 9 start at $300 and climb higher. Rates at Hyatt-affiliated hotels start at $400 in central London and quickly move higher on the dates Swift performs at Wembley Stadium.
"Our hotels have seen huge surges in demand and [average daily rates] during Taylor Swift's 'The Eras Tour' with a city's [hotel performance] nearly doubling during her concert dates," Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano said earlier this year during a company securities analyst meeting. "Customers want to be at these events and enjoy these experiences in person."
The Taylor Swift model for hotels
It’s still too far out to gauge if rates will remain this high. However, it's certainly not good news for one’s wallet that hotel companies are already trying to see if they can get travelers to spend this much on a hotel room when Swift is in town alongside throngs of summer leisure travelers.
“The Taylor Swift model is absolutely factored in. It’s the new line item in revenue management,” Dimitris Manikis — Wyndham’s president of Europe, the Middle East, Eurasia and Africa — said. “How do we actually maximize it? It was always sports events, but now it's not just sports anymore. It's everything. Airlines are now factoring it. Cities are factoring it.”
The spike in demand comes as consumers increasingly favor experiences over physical goods — something that has been a major tailwind to travel companies looking to capitalize on the trend. It just makes nightly rates and airfare more expensive in the process.
“These high-profile events have a major effect on hotel demand. Concerts have become a lot more popular, and people really try to do those once-in-a-lifetime things that really make an impact on their life,” Balekjian said.
Swift’s seismic impact on travel
Take the U.S. as both bragging rights for the Swiftie (what Swift fans call themselves) economy and a cautionary tale for how much you’ll need to shell out for a European hotel next summer.
A QuestionPro report over the summer estimated “The Eras Tour” had a $5 billion direct impact on the collective economies of the 20 different city stops in the U.S. — that includes everything from travel expenses to dining and merchandise sales.
But the U.S. Travel Association reported in September that the total economic impact of the tour likely exceeded $10 billion; this is thanks to indirect spending from people who still visited the cities during a Swift concert date but didn’t actually attend the concert itself. Just look at all the videos of thousands of fans showing up to listen from a stadium parking lot while the actual concert took place inside a sold-out venue.
A single Swiftie averaged $1,300 in direct spending for each concert date. That’s on par with per-person spending levels seen for a Super Bowl, according to U.S. Travel. Multiply that by 53 different concert dates, and you suddenly can see why “The Eras Tour” fueled the economy so much over the summer.
When Swift made her two-night stop in Pittsburgh, hotels averaged a 95% occupancy rate, the highest figure seen since before the pandemic and the second-highest city-wide occupancy rate in recorded history, U.S. Travel reports. Pittsburgh hotels also commanded a $309 average nightly rate, a 106% increase in the typical going rate for a hotel in the city.
Average rates jumped 51% in Nashville when Swift performed in early May. Boston hotel rates surged 28% when Swift performed outside the city at Gillette Stadium.
If the U.S. is a canary down the coal mine for what travelers heading to Europe next summer should expect, it’s that rates will be higher than you’d expect — even for peak travel season across the region.
Lock in rates now or consider deploying your award nights and points to save money. You can use the savings at the merch stand.
Related reading:
- Best hotel credit cards
- When is the best time to book a hotel? Experts weigh in — and debunk a few myths
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- A comparison of luxury hotel programs from credit card issuers
- Which credit cards offer the most lucrative rewards for hotel stays?
- The best hotel rewards programs in the world
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- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.