Filipina Charlyn Suizo told Reuters she was in Singapore this week for one reason: Taylor Swift.

 

 

Software engineer Suizo (30 years old) headed a group of Swifties (big fans of Taylor Swift) in the Philippines who flew from Manila to Singapore on March 1 with 17 friends.

Taylor Swift performed in Singapore on the night of March 2

Suizo spent at least $6,000 on plane tickets, concert tickets and hotels. This is slightly higher than the average annual household income in the Philippines.

 

Suizo bought a VIP ticket worth more than 745 USD and said: “This is the most money I have ever spent on a concert. I have never really spent big… on other people, except Taylor Swift!”. She plans to watch 3 of Swift’s 6 concerts in Singapore.

More than 50,000 spectators came to see Taylor Swift’s first concert in Singapore

Suizo is among tens of thousands of Swifties arriving in Singapore this week from across Southeast Asia to join the American music star’s The Eras Tour , providing a much-needed boost to the sluggish local economy.

Taylor Swift performed 6 sold-out nights on March 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9 at Singapore National Stadium, her only stop in Southeast Asia.

Chua Hak Bin, an economist at Maybank, estimates that 7/10 of the 300,000 live audiences watching the six shows come from abroad, spending between $260 million and $370 million on hotels, dining, shopping and entertainment. entertainment.

By comparison, the annual F1 Singapore Grand Prix has generated about $1.5 billion in tourism revenue since its inception in 2008, according to Singapore’s Ministry of Commerce.

Meanwhile, analysts at HSBC bank said hotel room prices in Singapore are currently 30% higher than before the 2019 pandemic.

Edmund Ong, General Director of Trip.com Singapore, said that from March 1 to 9, airfares to Singapore nearly tripled while the number of hotel reservations increased nearly five times. Bookings for attractions and tours have increased by more than 2,300%.

Swifties come from all over the world

REUTERS

 

Last month, the Singapore government said it had sponsored Taylor Swift a sum of money to perform in the “lion island”. They did not disclose the amount but said the concerts “have the potential to generate significant benefits for the Singapore economy, especially tourism activities such as hospitality, retail, tourism and dining.” drink”.

The above announcement made other countries in the region uncomfortable. Thailand’s prime minister said the sponsorship was made on the condition that this would be Taylor Swift’s only performance in Southeast Asia, while a Philippine lawmaker said it was “not something that customers want.” The kind neighbors do it.” The Singapore government did not confirm the exclusivity terms for singer Taylor Swift’s performances. Singapore has had a concert boom since the pandemic lockdown ended, with big names such as Blackpink, Coldplay and Ed Sheeran playing sold-out shows.