CELEBRITY
The Full Story: Why Southeast Asian Countries Are Fighting…All Because Of Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift encourages her U.S. fans to vote
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Taylor Swift | @taylorswift/Instagram
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Tickets to all six-nights in Singapore were highly sought after. According to Maybank, a total of 300,000 fans will be attending the tour over the entire week. Out of this, an estimated 70% are coming from overseas, with most arriving from neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Besides being closer in proximity, visas to Singapore are not needed as members of the ASEAN region, thus making it the most accessible stop for Southeast Asian Swifties.
While Singapore is experiencing a boost in tourism, fellow Southeast Asian nations are losing out on potential income that could have been earned had the soloist visited them as well.
According to Edmund Ong, general manager at Trip.com, Singapore-inbound flights shot up by 186% and accommodations almost quintupled between March 1 to 9.