Taylor Swift's Philadelphia concerts made significant economic impact

Taylor Swift's concerts in Philadelphia made significant impact on the economy

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Taylor's takeover of Philadelphia this weekend made a "swift" impact on the economy.

It was a packed weekend night after night at Lincoln Financial Field for all three Taylor Swift concerts, which led to a big boost in business.  

RELATED READING: Meet the woman who went viral during Taylor Swift's concert in Philadelphia

"It's probably just a great business weekend for so many hotels, restaurants, shops," Elizabeth Kitslaar, of Madison, Wisconsin, said.  

Kitslaar and her friends made the trip from the Midwest to see Swift on Sunday.  

And merch wasn't the only thing they spent money on. 

"We ended up booking an Airbnb just north of here. And it actually worked out perfect," Kitslaar said. 

Other fans booked hotels in and around the city.   

"It really filled up Center City, which also led to creating compression in Center City, which reached out to our hotels in University City, the airport area and the suburbs," Ed Grose, the executive director for the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association, said. 

And aside from booking hotels and going to the concerts, Swifties also spent money on different tourist attractions all throughout the city.

"We saw 30,000 people throughout the weekend, Friday through Sunday, at the Independence Visitor Center," Jennifer Nagle, of the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation, said.  

Nagle says this weekend their ticket sales and attendance almost reached pre-pandemic levels.  

"Relative to 2019 numbers, just 10% shy," Nagle said. 

"This is our first time here in Philly, so we have a lot to explore. We are really excited to see the parks, the museums and sightsee everything that the city has to offer," Kitslaar said. 

For the Swifties, it was a weekend filled with priceless memories. 

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.