CNN
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The concert tour that made Taylor Swift a billionaire is coming to an end this weekend, but it has already left a lasting impact on the global economy.

The pop superstar, whose final performance of “The Eras Tour” takes place Sunday night at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, has emerged as a business titan after 152 concerts in 51 cities. Eras became the highest-grossing tour of all time with an estimated profit of $2.2 billion.

In the United States, concertgoers spent about as much as football fans at the Super Bowl – an average of $1,300 on travel, hotels, food and merchandise, according to the US Travel Association. But the Super Bowl consists of just one game and includes two weeks of marketing and promotion, while Swift’s tour visited 23 cities on 62 nights over about five months.

According to an estimate by survey firm Question Pro, Swifties spent an estimated $5 billion in the United States. But that total only takes into account direct spending, according to the US Travel Association, and could exceed $10 billion when accounting for indirect spending and when non-ticket holders make purchases outside the venue.

“Swiftnomics” revives the economy after the pandemic

This purchasing power was part of the “Taylor Swift effect,” which travel industry analysts considered a “hospitality phenomenon.”

Due to the influx of visitors, there was higher traffic volume and higher occupancy in the inner city areas. Swift fans often extended their stays in cities that hosted multiple shows, further increasing local revenue.

“These events had a significant revitalizing effect on the local tourism industry and downtowns that are still struggling with the effects of the pandemic,” the California Center for Jobs & the Economy reported.

Pittsburgh, which hosted two concerts, saw its highest weekend hotel occupancy in the wake of the pandemic and its second-highest weekend occupancy in its history. Swift’s tour increased the average daily cost of rooms to $309, and the city generated $46 million in direct spending from attendees, 83% of whom did not live in Allegheny County.

The California Center for Jobs & the Economy estimated that Swift’s six-day concert in Los Angeles increased local employment by 3,300 workers and local revenue by $160 million. Before the “Eras” tour reached Los Angeles, hotel jobs were about 15% below their pre-pandemic peak. The U.S. Travel Association estimated that Los Angeles County would benefit from an additional $320 million, including $20 million in sales and local taxes and $9 million in hotel room taxes.

Eras has also been a boon for ride-hailing companies. Lyft reported that rides increased an average of 8.2% in cities hosting a Swift concert and that New Orleans saw a 31% increase.

The New Orleans Downtown Development District estimated that between 80 and 90 percent of concert attendees were visitors. Greater New Orleans, Inc. estimated the concerts’ economic impact at approximately $200 million. This does not take into account expenses for restaurants, hotels and other tourism expenses.