Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Impact Still Felt a Week After Cincinnati Stop
Downtown Hotel Occupancy Surged to 98%
CINCINNATI, OH (For Immediate Release) – No “Bad Blood” here, just one week after Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour was in Cincinnati, the Cincy Region is still feeling the effects.
Swift wasn’t the only show in town, the Reds played three home games, FC Cincinnati had a sold-out match and additional concerts took place. With so much activity, hotel occupancy for the nights of June 30 and July 1 hit 98% in downtown Cincinnati and 92% in Hamilton County, according to Smith Travel Research (STR), used by Visit Cincy.
According to the same report, downtown hotel room rates and revenue were more than double what they were the previous year. In downtown Cincinnati, more than $2.6 million was brought in for hotel revenue for just those two days alone. In Hamilton County, more than $5.3 million was brought in that same time frame.
“Taylor Swift is a force to be reckoned with,” said Julie Calvert President and CEO of Visit Cincy. “The economic impact Swift creates is staggering, as fans travel from far and wide to attend her concerts, filling hotels, restaurants, and local attractions Swift’s influence on tourism is a testament to her ability to captivate audiences and drive economic growth,” Calvert continued.
Joe Pinto, General Manager of the Hyatt Regency Cincinnati and Cincinnati Hotel Association President added "The fact that Taylor Swift chose Cincinnati to perform back-to-back shows was a real game changer for the Cincinnati area hotels.”
“Demand for this past weekend surged right after her schedule came out last year and we knew it was going to be one of the best weekends the city has ever seen, and we were not disappointed,” Pinto continued.
Restaurants throughout the region and adjacent to the concert venues also reported tremendous business. “Our Banks location had its best day ever on Friday, then we smashed that record on Saturday,” said Jean-Francois Flechet, chief waffle officer at Taste of Belgium. “This weekend made Cincinnati shine. We have never seen so many happy people.”
According to traffic counts from Smart City, 40,691 Taylor Swift fans visited the Swiftinnati: Taygate at The Banks over the two days. More than 250,000 beads were used to make free friendship bracelets and hundreds of phones were charged at the altafiber station on Freedom Way. Eight stylists provided free hair braiding and glitter makeup and estimated more than 2,000 fans were styled for the show over both days.
As the Swift concerts ended, the Cincy Region welcomed more than 1,400 attendees to the Church of Brethren Annual Conference, taking place July 5-9 at Duke Energy Convention Center. Attendees utilized 4,500 hotel room nights, with an estimated economic impact of $3.4 million.
Another big event taking over Cincinnati on Sunday (July 9), is the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals at TQL Stadium. This is the stadium’s first-ever double-header with matches between Guatemala v Jamaica and The United States v Canada.
“Cincinnati is not slowing down any time soon. We are getting everything ready for a big week with the Cincinnati Music Festival, Black Tech Week, Cincy Soul: The Black Taste and we are looking forward to the much-anticipated community celebration and induction ceremony for the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame,” Calvert continued.
The Cincinnati Music Festival (July 20-22) has an annual economic impact of $107.5 million and draws tens of thousands of people to the riverfront and Paycor Stadium.
"Beyond the significant money it infuses into our minority-owned businesses, the Cincinnati Music Festival offers our visitors the opportunity to experience Cincinnati’s music, food, and overall sense-of-place community culture," Calvert said.
The Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame will be the newest attraction for visitors to learn about the rich musical history of Cincinnati. The free, family-focused attraction will officially open on July 22nd.
Located near the Andrew J. Brady Music Center and Paycor Stadium, the attraction utilizes AI technology to create a more immersive experience. Visitors will be able to feel the music and interact with the kiosks with augmented reality.
For more information on the Cincinnati Music Festival or the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame and all other activities taking place in Cincinnati go to VisitCincy.com.
About Visit Cincy
Visit Cincy connects the Cincinnati region's people and experiences with visitors and meeting attendees from around the world. The destination marketing organization is supported by nearly 500 businesses that join together in making Cincinnati, Hamilton County, and the Cincy region a world-class destination by offering their services, attractions, and facilities to visitors, meeting planners, and convention attendees. For more information, go to VisitCincy.com.
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