Taylor Swift Tour Boosts Occupancy and Revenue to Record Levels in Tourist Destinations

From being overcome with emotion and bursting into tears during concerts to wearing diapers so as not to have to use the restroom and miss even a moment of the show, Taylor Swift fans are a passionate bunch.

The unbridled emotion and enthusiasm that Swifties (aka individuals who go fangirl over anything Taylor Swift does) demonstrate at every stop on the sold-out Eras tour makes clear that Swift’s concerts have long since transcended mere music event. The tour has morphed into a cultural phenomenon.

And that phenomenon is paying off handsomely for destinations around the United States. From Pittsburgh to Kansas City and Minneapolis, as well as plenty of cities in between, destinations are raking in blockbuster profits when the Eras tour rolls into town, as well as experiencing record-shattering hotel occupancy rates and generally enjoying the kind of destination exposure that money (or traditional destination marketing campaigns) simply cannot buy.

“We saw hotel room rates up there with some of the biggest events and conferences we’ve ever had in town. We certainly saw her impact here,” says Derek Byrne, director of content strategy at Visit KC. “In terms how you think about destination marketing, you couldn’t design a more perfect event with people coming to the city and exploring everything we have to offer.”

Here’s a closer look at the Taylor Swift boon destinations across the United States are reporting thanks to the Eras tour and its beloved superstar.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Taylor Swift’s Eras tour spent two days in Pittsburgh—June 16 and June 17—and during those 48 hours the city morphed into “SwiftBURGH.” Fans from around the country flooded into the city arriving from Cleveland, Ohio; Washington, D.C., and Buffalo, New York, to name merely a few of the source markets.

The local hospitality community was prepared—offering everything from Taylor Swift-themed drinks to entire Taylor Swift-themed events.

After all was said and done and Swift and Company had packed up and departed for the next tour stop, receipts showed that Pittsburgh had pocketed a tidy profit and broke more than a few records. Among the key highlights:

The two days of Eras concerts generated $46 million in direct spending in Pittsburgh
Visitors from outside Allegheny County made up 83 percent of the record-setting crowd

The hotel occupancy rate for the two days was 95 percent, which was a 31 percent increase from the same time last year
Average daily room rates in Allegheny County increased 106 percent to $309 thanks to Swiftie-driven demand

Not only did room rates skyrocket amid Taylor Swift’s presence, but it was the highest weekend occupancy Allegheny County has experienced post-pandemic and the second highest weekend occupancy rate ever recorded for the county.

Focusing just on downtown Pittsburgh meanwhile, occupancy averaged 96 percent and average daily room rates spiked to $428, an increase of 124 percent from the same time last year.

And the jaw-dropping stats don’t end there.

Of the total economic impact that resulted from the Eras event in Pittsburgh, out-of-town visitors contributed an estimated $42.9 million in spending on hotels, restaurants, retail, transportation, and attractions. Concert attendees from the local area meanwhile, dropped a whopping $3.07 million amid their Swiftie frenzy. And combined, out-of-town visitors and residents generated some $3 million in state and local sales tax revenue.

“The Taylor Swift concerts attracted a multi-generational record-setting crowd and generated an outstanding economic impact for local businesses and the entire community,” said Jimmie Sacco, Steelers vice president of stadium operations and management.

Kansas City, Missouri
In Kansas City Taylor Swift’s two-night stop on July 7 and July 8 was an equally impressive juggernaut. Visit KC estimates that the Swiftie craze generated $46 million in direct spending on hotels, restaurants, transportation services, and other travel costs, and brought more than 100,000 visitors to town.

But let’s turn back a clock and pause for a moment on this statistic, as well: Hotel rooms in Kansas City sold out or shot up in price more than nine months before the concert’s actual arrival, when the tour was first announced. And by the time the Eras tour actually set up shop in Kansas City, the closest hotels with rooms still available were more than an hour away from the stadium where the concerts were taking place, in surrounding cities like Lawrence, Kansas; St. Joseph, Missouri, and Warrensburg, Missouri.

Local businesses and vendors throughout Kansas City also tapped into all things Taylor Swift in order to drive up revenue for their businesses. Kansas City’s Dolce Bakery created cakes topped with with depictions of Taylor Swift albums. Local favorite Donutology meanwhile, created donuts inspired by Swift’s music. Think: burning red donuts, lavender haze confectionary glaze.

Local bars served craft cocktails based on Swift Eras and hosted Taylor Swift-themed parties and trivia events for the unlucky souls who did not score tickets to the actual show.

In true midwestern fashion, there was even a giant work of crop art created to welcome Taylor—complete with the pop star’s likeness.

There were also unique municipal acknowledgements of the superstar. In North Kansas City, Swifties lined up to have their picture taken next a street sign that reads: Honorary Swift Street (Taylor’s Version).

Byrne, the director of content strategy at Visit KC, paid a visit to the Honorary Swift Street sign two days before the curtain had raised on the Eras concert and was floored by the crowds he witnessed.

“There were two dozen people in line, on a hot summer day, waiting to get their picture taken by the sign,” recalls Byrne. “I started talking to a few people next to me and they told me that they were here from Springfield, Missouri. And they were already in town on the Wednesday afternoon before the concert, exploring the city.”

“Taylor Swift fans are such an enthusiastic crowd. They really want to see the places they are visiting and they go out and support local businesses that are doing things to support Taylor,” adds Byrne.

To make sure Swifties knew about the variety of Swift-related fabulousness on offer, Visit KC whipped up a dedicated blog post outlining all of the Taylor Swift and Eras-related happenings in the city.

After the dust settled, officials estimated that the Taylor Swift Eras weekend extravaganza generated $5 million in tax revenues for the destination and $1 million for the GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium upkeep fund.

Minneapolis, Minnesota

The second-to-last week of June was a big one in Minneapolis. An estimated 500,000 people poured in to the city to participate in the various events taking place, which in addition to the Twin Cities Pride Festival and the Kiwanis International Convention, just so happened to include Taylor Swift concerts taking place at U.S. Bank Stadium on June 23 and June 24.

Though it’s not possible to parse out specifically how much revenue can solely be attributed to Swifties, the city nevertheless posted some impressive statistics once the show, as well as the other events, wrapped up. For instance:

On June 23 and June 24, Minneapolis set a new all-time record for total hotel rooms occupied on a weekend with 19,531.
On Friday, June 23, Minneapolis matched its previous highest occupancy night of 2023 at 96.3 percent. That record level of occupancy had also been achieved on June 13 when the city hosted the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championships at the Minneapolis Convention Center, a Twins-Brewers game at Target Field, and various other events.
The 9,888 hotel rooms occupied on both June 13 and June 23 were an all-time high for Minneapolis hotels.

The 96.3 percent hotel occupancy was the highest since before the start of the pandemic
Minneapolis hotels recorded nearly $6 million in total guest room revenue on June 23 and June 24

Even without being able to pinpoint the exact amount the Eras tour contributed to the city’s record-shattering weekend, Swift’s impact on the city during the concert run was undeniable, says Courtney Ries, senior vice president of destination branding and strategy for Meet Minneapolis.

“Any town that Taylor Swift goes to, she brings an entire infectious wonderful energy with her,” says Ries. “She brings a kindness and engagement and her fans are so excited to be a part of it all. So, whether it was Taylor Swift ancillary events that Minneapolis bars and restaurants hosted around the concert or the merchandise that was sold while the concert was here, there was just a tremendous level of excitement.”

At the Canopy by Hilton Minneapolis Mill District for instance, guests were treated to a friendship-making bracelet station, a la Swift, and were busy trading bracelets in the lobby before and after the concert.

There were also three specialty Taylor Swift cocktails on offer at the hotel throughout the weekend: Lover, Bejeweled, and Your Roommates Cheap-Ass Screw-top Rose, served with red solo cups. The cocktails attracted a steady stream of Swifties who came through the hotel to snap a photo for Instagram while sipping on a signature cocktail before heading to the opening act.

That enthusiasm surrounding all things Taylor Swift also attracted international visitors who flew into Minneapolis to attend the concerts, according to local media reports that aired during the weekend of the concerts. There were also plenty of Swifties who jetted into Minneapolis over the June 23 and June 24 weekend from around the United States.

“Almost everyone on our team knew someone who was coming into town for the concert that weekend,” recalls Ries.
“Whether it was from the show itself or simply getting people to consider a destination they hadn’t visited before, there is definitely a lot of Swift love in Minneapolis,” said Ries.