Latin America Gets a ‘Swiftie’ Bump: Achieves New Record-High
Skift Take
Key Points
- Taylor Swift's Eras Tour has boosted Latin America's travel industry, achieving a record-high score of 117 in November 2023.
- Sectors like aviation, hotels, vacation rentals, and car rentals saw significant demand increases, with hotels showing the highest growth.
- Challenges persist, including incomplete rebound of inbound travel volumes and Brazil's new e-visa policy potentially affecting future travel.
Summary
Taylor Swift's Eras Tour has significantly boosted the travel industry in Latin America, helping the region achieve a record-high score of 117 on the Skift Travel Health Index in November 2023. Various travel sectors, including aviation, hotels, vacation rentals, and car rentals, saw a substantial increase in demand, with hotels experiencing the highest growth. Despite the positive impact, challenges such as inbound travel volumes not yet fully rebounding and Brazil's upcoming e-visa requirement remain.
Taylor Swift’s multi-continent Eras Tour is on its way to becoming the highest-grossing musical tour of all time. The “Swiftie” impact is not confined to music charts, but has also extended to the travel industry. While the travel sector is still adjusting to the aftermath of the pandemic, the Eras Tour has proved a boon for all the destinations it has graced this year.
The global travel index jumped back to 105 in November 2023, according to the Skift Travel Health Index: November 2023 Highlights. All regions surpassed pre-pandemic levels, with Latin America in the lead, achieving a record-high regional score of 117.
The catalyst behind this surge? The Eras Tour visited Argentina and Brazil in November, igniting demand across all travel sectors in Latin America.
Latin America Skift Travel Health Index Performance by Sector
| Sector | Jun-23 | Jul-23 | Aug-23 | Sep-23 | Oct-23 | Nov-23 | Oct-Nov |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aviation | 104 | 104 | 105 | 101 | 104 | 113 | +9 |
| Hotels | 132 | 122 | 126 | 128 | 125 | 135 | +10 |
| Vacation Rentals | 128 | 131 | 132 | 134 | 125 | 129 | +4 |
| Car Rental | 98 | 94 | 90 | 103 | 100 | 101 | +1 |
Hotels in cities hosting The Era’s Tour reported very high occupancy levels, even with elevated rates due to the surging demand. São Paulo, Brazil, achieved its highest monthly ADR in November. Hotel bookings witnessed the highest jump and were soaring even after the concert dates.
While the region revels in the upsurge, challenges still persist in the form of inbound travel volumes, which have yet to fully rebound to pre-pandemic levels across most countries in Latin America. Brazil’s new visa policy of an e-visa requirement from January 2024 onwards may potentially impact these arrival numbers further.
Get more insights in our latest November 2023 Highlights report.
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