TBM Staff - Mumbai Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated Asia Pacific tour has caused a sensation among music fans, and the impact is not limited to the entertainment industry. Recent data analysis by Amadeus reveals that the cities hosting significant concerts are experiencing noteworthy surges in travel search.
Amadeus data researchers examined travel search data and identified an extraordinary increase in interest for the cities featured on the tour itinerary. With the return of live concerts approaching pre-pandemic levels, Australia, Singapore, and Japan are gearing up for a tourism boom.
Australia – June 2023 (weeks 24 to 26)
The volume of searches to Australia (Melbourne and Sydney) peaked in week 26, shortly after tickets for Taylor Swift went on public sale during the same week on June 30. It resulted in an average week-over-week spike of 44% between weeks 24 and 26.
Looking at the search volume from New Zealand to Melbourne and Sydney, an impressive 240% week-over-week surge was seen during the same period. The growth reflects the excitement of such concerts taking place within the countries’ proximity due to a lack of such concerts occurring frequently.
Most of the travelers searched for shorter trips for a few days rather than longer stays of more than a week. This indicates that the concert significantly impacted leisure travel booking over business travel during the same period.
Singapore – June to July 2023 (weeks 23 to 27)
Travel search spikes occurred in week 24 and week 27 with the first spike in week 24 correlating with the concert announcements of Coldplay and the second spike in week 27 correlating with Taylor Swift concert ticket sales. The total searches to Singapore grew by 18% on average week-over-week between weeks 23 and 27, covering both Taylor Swift and Coldplay concert announcements.
Trips within a week and weekend trips were preferred over long trips, with searches for trips within a week growing by 20% in the same time frame. The data suggests that the concerts are the main drivers for this increase in comparison to the previous weeks.
Japan – July 2023 (weeks 28 to 30)
The announcement of lottery results on July 25, 2023, for Taylor Swift’s concert in Japan sparked an average uptick of 15% in domestic searches between weeks 28 and 30 and 10% in international searches to Tokyo between weeks 29 and 30. Subsequently, international searches from neighboring countries to Tokyo spiked by 32% week-over-week from weeks 29 to 30.
Inbound travelers from APAC countries; Australia, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand were primarily interested in both shorter and longer trips, indicating that they travel with the aim of attending the concert while simultaneously extending their stay for leisure purposes.
Karun Budhraja, Senior Vice President, Travel unit Marketing, Asia Pacific, Amadeus, “Our data researchers are always watching the latest trends in travel and were delighted to see such strong demand for these special events in Asia Pacific. The lineup of world-class musicians for multiple concerts in Australia, Singapore, and Japan shows that fans worldwide are willing to travel long distances to watch their favorite stars perform live. It is a positive sign for the APAC economy, serving as a boost for the entire tourism industry.”
