As Malaysia seems plagued with religious extremism, Singapore saw a huge potential in concert tourism.
Under pressure from conservative Muslims, Malaysia banned British “The 1975” while Islamist party PAS called for a ban on Black Pink concert. Likewise, Indonesia also faced similar problems when Lady Gaga and Coldplay both cancelled their concerts. The Philippines’ poor infrastructure leaves Singapore and Thailand fighting to become the hub for international concerts.
However, if Taylor Swift’s exclusive concert in Singapore was any indicator, Thailand still has a lot to learn. More than 300,000 fans from across the Southeast Asia made their way to Singapore. The island also attracted the likes of Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars and Blackpink.
Taylor’s social media of 534 million followers is another reason why Singapore wanted the billionaire singer exclusively. With millions of fans crowding into sold out stadiums across the United States and South America, not to mention record-smashing tour in Europe, Singapore’s strategy was for her to skip Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.
As early as Feb 2023, Singapore already sent a powerful team, which included Culture, Community and Youth Minister Edwin Tong to Los Angeles to meet up with Swift’s promoters and agents.
The exclusivity clause in the agreement was kept secret till Thai Prime Minister, who was obviously upset with the backroom deal, exposed it on Feb 16. The Singapore Government had offered subsidies of up to US$3 million for each concert – in exchange for the exclusivity right. The Singapore Tourism Board has acknowledged the “grant”, but refused to unveil the amount.
The US$3 million bonus for each show, apparently revealed by concert promoter Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) to “deliver Asia” to Swift has also angered another ASEAN country – the Philippines. Lawmaker Joey Salceda demanded the Philippines Government to protest against Singapore Government, claiming that the method used to snatch the girl could hurt both countries’ friendship.
For a prime minister to be personally involved in a tussle for a singer-songwriter to perform in a concert speaks volumes about the economic impact – both directly and indirectly – that the 34-year-old American superstar could deliver. The “Swiftonomics” or “Taylornomics” would benefit tourism sectors of cities that she toured such as hospitality, retail, travel and dining – even hotdog vendors.
Ticket sales alone are expected to account for S$75.2 million for Swift’s shows, with about S$19.5 million going into Singapore’s pocket (75% goes to Swift). A Wall Street economist calculated that the ripple effect on Singapore’s economy as a result of the spending of one person – an average Taylor Swift concertgoer – is about S$1,385. That translates to S$415 million for the 300,000 Swifties attending the concerts.
Assuming 70% of the estimated 300,000 concertgoers are coming in from overseas and that there are two people per room over the six show nights, the direct impact on the hotel industry alone would be about S$35 million. Trip.com noted that the total volume of Singapore-related bookings surged 275% during Swift’s concert period.
Capitalizing on the Swift brand, Singapore’s iconic five-star hotel, the Marina Bay Sands, offered “The Wildest Dreams Package” – a three-night stay, four VIP tickets and a round-trip limousine ride from the airport – at a cost of almost US$40,000. All its packages were sold out, and more than 90% of guests snapping the exclusive packages were coming from abroad.
Both the country’s flagship carrier Singapore Airlines and budget airline Scoot said the demand for flights to Singapore in March had jumped, particularly from Southeast Asia. Even Australian low-cost airline Jetstar Asia saw a demand surge of about 20% for routes connecting destinations like Bangkok, Manila, Jakarta to the Lion City.
Malaysia would probably be Swift’s last choice as her concert outfits would be “too sexy” for some Malay Muslim conservatives. Yes, as Singapore is busy making “concert economics” its new growth driver, Malaysia is struggling with a weak currency and a sagging economy Why can’t the conservatives not view the concert and/or stay away? Why do they need an outward show of piousness? Meanwhile, the former Malaysian Sports Minister called it a “missed opportunity”. This is the Deputy President of Bersatu who shares the same cabin with PAS. Can you believe this?
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