European air travel for the summer has increased due to the Eras tour of superstar Taylor Swift. One of the prominent carriers is United Airlines.
It has reported a major increase in travel demand to popular destinations in Europe over the Memorial Day weekend. These include Spain, Madrid, Portugal and Lisbon.
The rise
According to estimates, the increase is 25% higher as compared to last summer. It is directly due to Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, as her fans have gotten into a travel frenzy.
Other cities where the tour will be held are expected to see similar increases in the coming weeks. These include Dublin, Edinburgh and Madrid.
The growth is expected to continue into the summer season, as American fans have a habit of attending European concerts.
This is due to the fact that concert tickets tend to cheaper as compared to domestic tour dates. Tickets for a Taylor Swift concert can cost more than $1,000 due to restrictive resale rules and high demand.
Milan is the destination that has recorded the largest increase in passengers. The demand has gone up by 45% for air travel in July due to Swift’s debut, as compared to last year.
The flights
United Airlines has flights scheduled to all these European cities from its East Coast hubs in Dulles and Newark.
A number of destinations are also connected from its other hubs in Denver, Houston, San Francisco and Chicago’s OHare.
Delta Air Lines also said that it was prepared for its international summer schedule. It has also added routes and destinations that had been cut due to the pandemic.
Both United and Delta Airlines said that over the Memorial Day weekend, they were gearing up to fly about three million people. This would be an increase of 5% over last year.
A group representing major American airlines, Airlines for America, has said that they expect a record number of passengers this summer.
They expect to fly about 270 million passengers, which would be an increase of 6% over the previous year.
The concert’s impact
Taylor Swift’s tour is also likely to have a huge impact on the economy. According to the data, more than 1 million fans will attend her shows in the UK this summer.
The economy is expected to see an injection of a staggering $953 million. This is because every fan is expected to spend about $810 on accommodation, travel and other expenses.
This rise in spending highlights the impact of celebrity tours in boosting local businesses and driving tourism.
This year in January, Amadeus flight search data also highlighted the impact of the Era’s 2024 tour. It showed a 21% increase in international searches for travel to Paris, France around the tour dates.
The same trend of increasing flights was also recorded in other countries. These include Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, the USA, Norway, Ireland, Finland, Denmark, Belgium and Austria.
