Taylor Swift helps lift Chicago hotel bookings to record, Choose Chicago claims

Dec 31, 2023

(Bloomberg) — Chicago booked a record number of hotel rooms last weekend as Taylor Swift played three Eras Tour concerts in the city.

An average of 44,383 hotel rooms were occupied each night on Friday and Saturday in the city, an all-time high, according to Choose Chicago, the city's marketing organization. Occupancy rates hit 96.8% on average as fans flocked from other parts of the US to attend one of the singer's three concerts in Chicago. Visitors were also in town for the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting.

"Taylor Swift's sold-out concerts, layered on top of one of our largest annual conventions, combined to become the most successful weekend for Chicago hotels in recent history," Michael Jacobson, president of the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association, said in an emailed statement. These numbers come as "indisputable evidence of the importance of major events and conventions to the city's economy."

Outsize demand for Taylor Swift tickets has helped boost local economies across the nation. Two Las Vegas concerts brought tourism back to pre-Covid levels in March, and cities from Atlanta to Boston have also seen a spike in hotel and restaurant bookings when they welcomed the Eras Tour.

Fans have spent more than $1,300 on average in categories including tickets, travel and clothing in order to attend the tour, according to a new survey from research company QuestionPro. The firm estimates that if concert-goers continue spending at this rate, the Eras Tour could generate $4.6 billion in consumer spending in the US alone.

The frenzy is helping Swift book between $11 million and $12 million in ticket sales per concert, Bloomberg News reported, noting she's making more than $10 million per event.

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Nearly 49 million visitors came to Chicago last year in a mammoth comeback from the pandemic for the city's hospitality industry.

The city has been the longtime home for the trade show.

The results of a new poll could be a reflection of diminishing consumer confidence or complaints of inflated pricing.