Taylor Swift Sends Shockwaves Through European Travel

This summer, the skies over Europe will be filled with a devoted legion making their pilgrimage. Taylor Swift, global pop icon and songwriting savant, is embarking on her highly anticipated “Eras Tour”—and her millions of loyal Swifties are mobilizing to follow in her wake.

United Airlines has witnessed the tidal shift firsthand. Bookings to Lisbon, Portugal—host of Swift’s opening show—have surged a stunning 25% compared to last summer. Other upcoming stops on Swift’s itinerary, like Madrid, Edinburgh, and Dublin, are experiencing similar spikes. But the real travel frenzy is focused on Milan and Munich, Swift’s July destinations, which have seen demand explode upwards of 45%.

The cause of this Swiftian travel storm? Simple economics. Tickets to Swift’s Europe shows are thousands cheaper than in the US. So her army of fans, armed with passion and savings, are sweeping across the continent like a wave. They’re filling planes bound for cities on Taylor’s tour, choosing to make a European adventure out of seeing their queen perform in fairy tale lands abroad.

United and rival Delta are gearing up for the Swiftian onslaught. Both airlines are adding flights and expanding their largest-ever international schedules to accommodate the droves of devoted disciples. Such is the magnetic power of Taylor that her mere tour announcement has the ability to entirely redistribute global travel patterns.

As one expert notes, for devoted fans, the desire to spend becomes irresistible when their cultural icon calls. And so Europe will welcome millions of pilgrims bearing witness to Taylor’s magic this summer.