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Taylor Swift fans flocked to Liverpool last week for her debut buy-last-minute-taylor-swift-sold-out-eras-tour–tickets-1235548760/” target=”_blank”>sold out 'Eras tour' UK dates, but it wasn't just Liverpool locals in the crowd. Among the more than 55,000 Swifties at Anfield Stadium were fans who had traveled from India, China and the Philippines, in addition to seemingly thousands of people from North America.
Although they don't share exact booking data, travel site Expedia says that search interest in Liverpool has increased by up to 875% compared to last year, likely due to Swift announcing her tour dates in the city. Searches for Warsaw, Poland, meanwhile, have increased by a whopping 1130%, per Expedia, with bookings linked to Swift's concert there in August. In addition to these top two cities, Swifties increased Expedia searches for May through August by nearly 65% for cities that are part of the singer buy-last-minute-taylor-swift-sold-out-eras-tour–tickets-1235548760/” target=”_blank”>European tour 2024. Call it the “Taylor tourism effect”.
In a recent Expedia survey, nearly 70% of respondents said they would be more likely to travel to a concert outside their city, especially if it was cheaper. Over 40% said they would see traveling for a concert as an excuse to visit a new place. Not only has this increased bookings on Expedia to lesser-known destinations (think Liverpool over London), but main driver from these local economies.
It's not just Swift that's leading businesses to “tour-europe-2024-best-new-hotels-stay-1235920238/” target=”_blank”>tourist tourism” — last year saw American fans flock to Europe for Beyonce's “Renaissance tour,” and unexpected cities on Expedia's list of top travel destinations this year include Kuala Lumpur (where Dua Lipa plays in November). Edmonton (where Avril Lavigne, Zach Bryan and Bruce Springsteen will make stops this year) and Mexico City, which will host the likes of the Jonas Brothers, Niall Horan and The Killers, while hotel prices run into the hundreds for major cities like New York and Chicago, Expedia has stays available from $91 in Kuala Lumpur and $119 in Mexico City and Warsaw, proving that these so-called “destination cheats” may offer the best value for concertgoers.
The ultimate summer ticket besides the Swift? According to Expedia, it's Justin Timberlake leading search interest on the site, with his upcoming concerts in Amsterdam and Munich “driving higher demand” for hotel bookings than Swift. Here in the US, Expedia is seeing an uptick in bookings for small towns like Hershey, Pennsylvania and Lexington, Kentucky, with travel searches up 1400% and 800% respectively for more affordable stays there tied to the dates Timberlake.
While Expedia is best known for offering accommodations and experiences (think tours and sightseeing packages), the site also offers sports and concert tickets as part of its resale market. tickets for Eras 2024 tour dates tickets%2Ftaylor-swift-tickets.p” target=”_blank”>they start at $408 as of this writing, all are backed by Expedia's money-back guarantee.
As for tips on how to get the best deals to see Swift (and other artists): in addition to seeking out the less mainstream destinations mentioned above, Expedia says to consider commuting to the concert instead of staying in the city exactly where the show is that can often knock a few hundred dollars off the accommodations. The site also notes that Saturday night is often the most expensive night for a hotel stay. If an artist is playing multiple dates, try picking a midweek or Sunday.
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