By Cara Waters
Taylor Swift fans are booking out Melbourne hotels to the point the city will likely be at peak occupancy on the back of the pop star’s Eras tour.
In a trend known as “gig tripping”, concertgoers are increasingly travelling for key concerts or making a night of it at a hotel or Airbnb property.
Melbourne hotels are eyeing record occupancy rates coinciding with Taylor Swift’s Eras tour.Credit: Getty Images
Accommodation Association general manager Dougal Hollis said coming hotel occupancies in Melbourne were very strong, particularly on the Friday and Saturday nights of Swift’s gigs on February 16, 17 and 18. The third show is on a Sunday night.
“It is expected that Melbourne city hotel occupancies for Swift’s The Eras Tour concerts will better those achieved for Ed Sheeran’s two Melbourne concerts of around 91 per cent, and may even surpass occupancy levels achieved for pop icon Billy Joel’s sole Australian performance in Melbourne of 93 per cent,” he said.
Hollis said given Swift’s performances were exclusive to Melbourne and Sydney, city hotels had received strong booking interest from interstate and overseas, with an influx of guests expected from the United States, New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific.
“‘Swifties are renowned for being very loyal and passionate fans,” he said.
Hollis said booking demand was particularly strong from leisure travellers, many of whom travel in small groups.
“Hotels and apartments with flexible bedding configurations are popular with friends and families, keen to share the cost of accommodation,” he said.
Florencia Aimo, Marriott International’s director of marketing for Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands, said there had been “incredible demand” for rooms at the company’s Melbourne hotels, which include the Ritz-Carlton and Le Meridien, coinciding with the Swift concerts.
“All of our hotels are really excited that Taylor Swift is coming, from a business perspective and on a personal level also because [we are] fans of hers,” she said. “These types of events that drive so much demand and interest are really welcomed by the hospitality industry.”
Swiftie Kasey Theuma (right) was able to secure concert tickets in December.Credit: Chris Hopkins
Crown Towers is sitting at 97 per cent occupancy for the Friday and Saturday nights of the Swift tour.
Crown Melbourne chief executive Mike Volkert said the company expected a significant increase in foot traffic over the week of the concerts, as many guests would stay or celebrate there.
“We have seen a surge in bookings for Crown Towers, while Crown Metropol and Crown Promenade still have availability for those who have left booking to the last minute,” he said.
Ovolo South Yarra is completely booked out on the Saturday night, and the company’s two Melbourne hotels are offering special Swift cocktails to mark the event.
A spokeswoman for Next Hotel in the CBD said there had definitely been a “Swift effect”, and confirmed more longer-lead bookings for that time of year than usual.
Nearby apartments and Airbnb properties have also been heavily booked and Susan Wheeldon, country manager for Airbnb in Australia, said there was surging demand for accommodation near the MCG, where Swift will perform.
“We call it ‘Tay Tay tourism’,” Wheeldon said. “I think that’s a combination of two things. People, if they could get a ticket to any city, Sydney or Melbourne, they’ve flown in for it.”
Secondly, Wheeldon said many Victorian Swift fans had chosen to make a weekend of the gig by booking an overnight stay.
“It’s a three-hour concert, it’s a long day,” she said. “They’re just choosing to stay nearby.”
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