PETALING JAYA: Prior to Taylor Swift’s three October shows in New Orleans, the American city triggered a buzz on its official tourism website.
“Whether you’re a local or travelling from afar, we’ve got everything you need to make your concert experience truly magical,” said the New Orleans Tourism Office.
It offered people the chance to win a “Taylor-inspired trip to New Orleans that includes a stay at Hotel Saint Vincent”.
When the concerts ended, USA Today studied the after-effects in an article titled “How Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour New Orleans dates significantly impacted the city’s economy”.
“From ticket sales alone, the revenue brought in close to US$200mil, and that’s not including additional revenue from merchandise sales, restaurant and hotel earnings, as well as additional tourism expenses,” the report by the daily said.
The above is a straightforward example of how a global star could impact the local economy.
(Which is why Singapore annoyed its neighbours when the government struck a deal to ensure the city-state was the only South-East Asian stop for Swift in March.)
As such, retailers and hoteliers in Malaysia are calling on the Federal Government and state governments to promote more international concerts to boost business in the country.
They said Malaysia has the advantage of low production cost, making it an attractive destination compared to regional rivals like Singapore.
Malaysia Retailers Association president Datuk Andrew Lim said global acts would often captivate a significant number of visitors from elsewhere, particularly Singapore and Thailand.
“These foreign concert-goers help our retail and tourism industries,” he said.
He cited the case of Swift in Singapore, where she held six shows.
“It recorded an influx of tourists during the time of her concerts. This is a concrete example that we should follow in Malaysia. Our cost of production is relatively lower and more affordable.
“So I think international concerts should look at Malaysia more than Singapore,” he said.
Asked about retail sales during a concert period, he said the effects would depend on the season as well.
Malaysian Association of Hotels vice-president Lim Choong Sean said staging major concerts could have a positive impact on the country’s hotel industry.
“Concerts attract visitors, boosting hotel bookings near the concert venues. Occupancy rates will increase,” he said.
“Other states may see indirect benefits based on regional tourism strategies.”
