CINCINNATI — Just one week after megastar Taylor Swift brought her Eras Tour to Paycor Stadium, the region is still feeling the economic impact she helped bring.
Alongside Swift's larger-than-life shows, Cincinnati was also home to three Reds home games, a sold-out FC Cincinnati match and additional concerts during Fourth of July weekend. Bottom line, all these events made "Sparks Fly" and money flow in Cincinnati.
On Friday, June 30 and Saturday, July 1, hotel occupancy hit 98% in downtown Cincinnati and 92% in Hamilton County, according to Smith Travel Research, which is used by Visit Cincy.
"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 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."
NKU Economist Janet Harrah said the city reaching hotel capacity could signal an issue for the town's ability to attract major events like the Super Bowl in the near future.
"You'd be hard-pressed to have enough rooms for the Super Bowl, even though we have a stadium for it," Harrah said.
Harrah said having a Swift fan-filled city does have its benefits in the long term.
She said it could justify developers and investors contributing to the construction of more rooms like the new Convention Headquarters Hotel, TQL's boutique hotel announced in the West End, or new as-of-yet announced projects.
"It's very much like a chicken and egg," Harrah said. "You have to show that you can sell out hotels before you can have new capacity come online."
In terms of AirBnb, the Queen City was the top destination in the world last weekend.
Ahead of that weekend, Taylor Swift's two shows in Cincinnati were expected to have a direct economic impact of $48 million, according to data from the Cincinnati Regional Chamber and Visit Cincy.
"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," said Joe Pinto, president of the Cincinnati Hotel Association and general manager of the Hyatt Regency Cincinnati.
Outside of lodging, restaurants downtown and across the region also felt Swift's impact.
"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."
Swifties — even those without Eras Tour tickets — filled the streets with more than 40,000 fans at the Swiftinnati Taygate at The Banks over the two days.
Going forward, the city is hoping to ride the high that Swift's shows ignited.
In the next week alone, the Church of Brethren Annual Conference from July 5-9 is estimated to bring in $3.4 million in just hotel room reservations, and the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals are being held at TQL Stadium on July 9. This is TQL's first-ever double-header with matches between Guatemala and Jamaica as well as the US and Canada.
Later this summer, the Cincinnati Music Festival, which takes place July 20-22, brings thousands to the riverfront and Paycor Stadium. The festival has an annual economic impact of $107.5 million.
"Cincinnati is not slowing down any time soon," Calvert said. "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."
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