Global Courant
When Taylor Swift’s Eras tour rolls into Singapore next year, RJAY Ignacio said he’ll be there — whether he’s got a ticket or not.
“Taylor Swift has a huge fan base in Asia,” said the Pasig City, Philippines-based YouTube content creator. “So the chances of getting a ticket are very slim.”
But that won’t stop him from making travel plans, he said.
“If I can’t get a ticket, I’ll still go to Singapore,” he said. “I go to (the) parking lot to hear and feel the performance.”
A growing trend
Travel to attend events has increased this year, according to a May report from Deloitte titled “The Experience Economy Endures.”
Based on a survey of some 3,500 Americans, the report noted that the most common drivers for travel — spending time with loved ones and relaxation — have remained relatively stable.
“In 2023, however, there was a jump in motivations that were likely stifled by the pandemic, such as special events and romantic getaways,” he said.
Filipino RJay Ignacio said this photo was inspired by his favorite Taylor Swift album, “Folklore”. He said he would travel alone “for Taylor…I’m a huge fan.”
Source: Rjay Ignacio
The pandemic has put a halt to travel and major sporting and music events, but “there’s definitely an uptick going on now,” said San Francisco resident Farhan Abrol, who attended the French Open and Wimbledon last month.
“I feel like luxury is a common reason to travel,” he said. Still, it’s “not something that seems to resonate with millennial ways of spending money.”
For this age group, he says, it’s more about “stories than things.”
Traveling for the ‘best seats’
Bangkok resident Kanyarat Teawprasong secured tickets to see Swift perform in Singapore during a much-maligned ticket presale last week, where online queues exceeded 1 million.
Now she and her boyfriend are planning a three-day trip to Singapore, which will be her fifth time visiting the city-state — “always for concerts,” she said.
“The first stamp on my passport was for attending concerts,” she told CNBC Travel.
“I am a person who loves to go to concerts, especially in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.”
Kanyarat Teawprasong, seen here at a Blackpink show, said, “In addition to participating in the concert, I also get to travel to different countries.”
Source: Kanyarat Teawprasong
Occasionally, some of her favorite groups come to Thailand, but she chooses to see them elsewhere for the travel experience, she said.
Plus: “Sometimes I go to concerts abroad to get the best seats.”
Major publishers
With more people willing to travel abroad for major events, cities attracting popular events such as Singapore – Swift’s only tour stop in Southeast Asia – will see millions in foreign money pouring into its hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions.
Swifties, or fans of Taylor Swift, spend an average of $1,330 on tickets, food and travel, according to research firm QuestionPro. But those who travel internationally are likely to spend much more, a fact compounded by rising travel costs, which often spiral even higher around high-profile events.
Companies are springing up to cater to these travelers, packaging event tickets that include hotel stays, meet-and-greets, golf, and other activities.
The entertainment company Live Nation launched Vibee in April. It sells packages to attend the Austin City Limits Music Festival in October (starting at $1,366), as well as a “VIP Experience” to attend U2:UV shows in Las Vegas later this year (starting at $1,535), according to the website.
Vibee’s VIP packages for Lollapalooza 2023, which will be held in August at Chicago’s Grant Park, have already sold out, according to the website.
Armando L. Sanchez | Chicago Grandstand | Tribune News Service | Getty Images
“Some of our internationally curated events include Dancing on the Sand, a weekend getaway in the Bahamas headlined and curated by Lionel Richie,” Vibee’s president Harvey Cohen told CNBC Travel.
“We expect the intersection of music and travel to only grow stronger.”
Ways to save
Average hotel prices in the United States will increase 50% when Swift’s Eras tour comes to town, according to travel software company Navan. But data showed that hotel prices more than doubled in places like Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.
To avoid an “astronomical price hike,” Jakarta resident Wid said one of his friends booked a hotel in Singapore before Swift’s tour tickets even went on sale. He asked not to be identified by his last name because he buys concert tickets for others for a fee.
American Nan Palmero said prices for accommodation and flights on Qatar Airways were too high for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Doha.
“FIFA had locked down the system so you couldn’t get accommodation until you had a ticket for games. By the time we were able to land accommodations, all the hotels were booked or discussed for people who had bundled VIP packages.”
He and his father ended up booking a two-bedroom apartment managed by Accor, he said.
Nan Palmero said the 2022 FIFA World Cup marked the first time he and his father traveled internationally for sporting events. “I grabbed the opportunity with both hands because it’s a global event in a place I’ve never been.”
Source: Nan Palmero
As for flights, he said: “In the end, we cut the trip short and flew to Istanbul via Delta, spent the night at the airport hotel and took off via Qatar Airlines the rest of the way to Doha.”
Ignacio said he expects his plane ticket to attend Swift’s concert to be very expensive.
Instead of flying directly from the Philippines to Singapore, he said, “I’m going to fly to Malaysia first.”
From there, he plans to take a six-hour bus ride from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, which he says could save him up to $400.
