The “rapid madness” is gripping the largest city in the country. Bringing Taylor Swift's Eras tour to Canada in 2024 will bring millions of dollars to the local economy, hotel and tourism experts say.
The arrival of the Eras tour will be one of the biggest events ever to take place in Toronto, predicts Aaron Harrison of luxury hotel Bisha.
Bracelets, album covers and a Taylor Swift-inspired artwork already adorn a room at the luxury venue, just steps from the Rogers Center, where the American star will perform in November.
“As a hotel that celebrates art and music, we named one of our rooms “Taylor,” he explains.
To attract Taylor Swift's most loyal or wealthiest admirers, the luxury hotel Bisha in downtown Toronto has opted for a “Swiftie” makeover of one of its suites.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Myriam Eddahia
This room with the image of the celebrity is advertised on the evenings of Taylor Swift concerts in Toronto for $ 5,999.
This will be a key driver of footfall and activity at a time when things are typically quieter.
Destination Toronto says the six concerts come at a critical time of year when business travel is slowing and leisure travel has not yet fully resumed.
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Bisha Hotel General Manager Aaron Harrison assures that the Taylor Suite is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the experience offered during the Eras tour.
Photo: Radio-Canada
This tour will give a boost to hotels, but also car rentals, restaurants, etc., says Aaron Harrison.
Taylor's Eras Tour is our Super Bowl.
Bisha Hotel, which has previously collaborated with artist Lenny Kravitz's Kravitz designs, plans to go further to attract Swifties.
During his stay in Toronto, each of our floors will recreate an era of his music. “It’s truly a place where fans can immerse themselves in all things Taylor Swift,” Harrison said.
A community of “Swifties”
The Rogers Center, where Taylor Swift will perform six times, has a capacity of almost 50,000 spectators.
She is not just an artist. It has a really positive financial impact.
Megan van der Baars, a longtime fan, works in hospitality and also leads a Taylor Swift-themed spin class every Sunday at Sweat and Tonic, a fitness center in Toronto.
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Megan van der Baars has admired Taylor Swift since the early 2000s.
Photo: Provided by Megan van der Baars
Her Taylor Swift style spin class was a huge success.
I could see how much it contributes to the economy. I also bear witness to the community spirit this has created, for example through my Swift Sundays. It's a therapy session and a concert at the same time, she explains.
Every Sunday we cry between Swifties, we sing, we hug after class, we make each other little friendship bracelets. She has brought so much good to so many industries,” continues Megan van der Baars.
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The star will be at the Rogers Center in Toronto on November 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 and 23, 2024.
Photo: Getty Images / SUZANNE CORDEIRO
This fan couldn't get tickets in Toronto, but will still attend the singer's show in July as she managed to buy tickets for a concert in Switzerland.
It is a North American cultural phenomenon. We've seen his fame grow in recent years. She has found a market where her songs resonate, notes professor and director of the School of Hospitality and Tourism at Toronto Metropolitan University, Frédéric Dimanche.
More than 2 million tickets were sold for his Eras tour on November 15, marking the most tickets ever sold for an artist in a single day, Ticketmaster confirms.
The economic impact of “Swift mania”
According to Daniel Tsai, an economics professor at the University of Toronto, ticket sales for the six nights of concerts in Toronto alone are estimated at $120 million, not including spin-offs that could total $700 million.
The artist walkthrough will allow restaurants and a host of other daytime attractions to capitalize on this Taylor Swift madness, believes professor and director of the School of Hospitality and Tourism at University Metropolitan Toronto, Frédéric Dimanche.
We can certainly talk about millions of dollars in economic benefits.
He also predicts an increase in the price of all hotel rooms, whether luxury or low-end, as we get closer to the star's concert dates.
We've been seeing this for a year now [avant son arrivée] Prices for this period will rise and hoteliers will benefit, he notes.
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Hotel room prices will increase during the time Taylor Swift takes the stage due to increased demand, according to the director of Metropolitan Toronto University's School of Tourism.
Photo: Radio-Canada
The Greater Toronto Hotel Association, which represents 170 hotels with about 36,000 rooms and 32,000 employees, cites a Wall Street Journal article that says the cities of Chicago and Minneapolis in the United States broke hotel room occupancy records when Taylor Swift was in the city.
Executive Director Sara Anghel said via email that she expects similar economic benefits for the city of Cincinnati.
Cincinnati recorded approximately $48 million in expenses related to its tour. “We expect a similar boost to Toronto’s tourism economy,” she confirms.
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One of the Bisha Hotel's suites is inspired by the artist Taylor Swift. Managing director Aaron Harrison notes that it boosts the hospitality and tourism sector wherever it takes hold.
Photo: Provided by Lori Harito
“There are certainly fans who want to pay for an expensive room in this universe,” notes Frédéric Dimanche.
This approach also reminds him of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's “Bed-in for Peace” in 1969 at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal.
From a business perspective, this makes perfect sense to me. I want the full Taylor Swift experience. “I don’t just want to go to the concert,” explains Swiftie Megan van der Baars, who hopes to book the Taylor Swift-style space to celebrate her recent engagement.
If you can stay in the Taylor Suite and be completely immersed from start to finish, do it, says everyone who tries this immersive experience.