Taylor Swift’s Shows Have an Extra Cost That Shocks Fans

If you thought booking Taylor Swift tickets was a risky business, wait until you try booking a hotel.

As MarketWatch reports, many fans are planning to head to Europe, where it’s easier and cheaper to get tickets to Swift’s The Eras tour. But finding a hotel or short-term rental in the cities where she’s performing is “a nightmare in terms of affordability.” Availability is limited, and room rates have doubled or even quadrupled.

And this phenomenon is not just happening in Europe. The phenomenon known as “passion tourism” is also affecting the United States, IndyStar reports.

Swift’s The Eras tour is coming to Indianapolis this November, and even though it’s four months away, lodging is already scarce. Chris Gahl, executive vice president of Visit Indy, says nearly every hotel room in the city has been booked, with prices up to triple by 2023 standards.

Related: Taylor Swift Just Gave a Masterclass in Crisis Management: Turning an Onstage Disaster into a Powerful Moment

An estimated 87 percent of the crowds filling Lucas Oil Stadium’s 70,000 seats for each of the singer’s three sold-out concerts are from out of town. Gahl says Airbnb searches have increased dramatically, eclipsing those for previous Indianapolis events: a 7,000 percent increase in searches over the same period last year. That’s even more than the interest in the 2024 solar eclipse.

With more than 200,000 fans expected to visit Indianapolis over the weekend of the concert, the city’s tourism sector is expected to see an all-time high, surpassing the rate of searches and bookings in other popular destinations like Miami and Vancouver. The Swift Effect illustrates the profound impact celebrity tours can have on local economies. If you’re a small business owner in a location where the Eras tour is playing, our advice is simple: stock up now!

Learn more about IndyStar