A Q&A with Andrew Weir, Executive Vice President, Destination Development, on Taylor Swift’s expected impact on the visitor economy.

The only Canadian city on the Eras Tour, Toronto is set to host Taylor Swift for six concerts in November 2024.  

Terminal editor Kathy Motton chatted with Andrew Weir, Executive Vice President of Destination Toronto about what kind of impact Taylor Swift is expected to have on Toronto’s visitor economy.

Kathy Motton: Despite being missed initially... Taylor Swift is finally coming to Canada! What do you think this means for Toronto?

Andrew Weir: Toronto has long been a must-stop for major global concert tours. As one of North America's largest entertainment and media markets, it was surprising that Toronto wasn’t initially included. We have seen many artists like Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, and Drake choose our city because of local fan bases and our connectivity to fans in other markets. 

Be it concerts like Taylor Swift or Beyonce, business events like Collision or SIBOS, or festivals like Pride or Caribbean Carnival – events that draw visitors to our city, also bring visitor spending that positively impacts our local economy, supporting a wide range of businesses and jobs. 

Toronto is the only Canadian city Taylor Swift is playing, and at this time, is currently host to the last scheduled dates of the Eras Tour. Hosting the final six concerts will mean even more excitement and attention for Toronto because anyone who hasn’t seen the concert, regardless of where they live, will be vying to try to score tickets and come to our city.

KM: It’s been reported that concerts like Taylor Swift or Beyonce create economic impact for the cities that host them. What impact will the six Taylor concerts have on the visitor economy?

AW: It’s a great example of the impact major events have on our destination. Be it concerts like Taylor Swift or Beyonce, business events like Collision or SIBOS, or festivals like Pride or Caribbean Carnival—events that draw visitors to our city, also bring visitor spending that positively impacts our local economy, supporting a wide range of businesses and jobs. 

The six shows in the 6ix are coming at a critical time of year, as business travel starts to wind down by late November and holiday leisure travel will not have fully picked up yet. So it will be a major driver of visitation and activity at a time that would normally be softer. 

Taylor’s impact is being referred to as Swiftnomics, because, despite a slowing economy, fans are still willing to spend money on things they are most passionate about, like live music, sports and travel. Fans visiting Toronto may be coming above all for the concert, but they will also stay in hotels, dig into the diverse food scene, shop, and explore more Toronto experiences like theatre, sports, and attractions. 

A study in Denver, found that Taylor Swift’s two shows there (75,000 seat capacity) each contributed $140 million USD to Colorado's GDP and that polling of Eras concertgoers indicated they spent an average of $1,327 USD on expenses such as tickets, travel, merchandise, lodging, and food, totalling more than $200 million USD in direct consumer spending. We’re hosting six shows here, albeit at a lower capacity per show, closer to 50,000, and that clearly points to substantial visitor activity and spending. 

KM: Do you have any other details about why this announcement matters so much for Toronto?

AW: The six shows in the 6ix are coming at a critical time of year, as business travel starts to wind down by late November, and holiday leisure travel will not have fully picked up yet. So it will be a major driver of visitation and activity at a time that would normally be softer. 

The announcement also comes while Toronto’s visitor economy is still recovering. We’ve seen strong momentum from markets like the U.K., Germany and Mexico—and the United States is continuing to rebound—but they are generally not back to pre-pandemic levels. Other key markets, like China, are even further behind, and recovery from that market, which brought more than 300,000 visitors to Toronto in 2019, hasn’t even begun. A new major demand driver is welcome and strategically valuable to the city.