Queensland Tourism Authority wants to rename the state’s Vlasoff Cay island to invite Taylor Swift to visit.
After Taylor Swift’s first The Eras Tour show in Sydney, February 23, Queensland’s Tourism and Events Authority made a “bold effort” to attract the pop superstar to the state. They plan to change the name of Vlasoff Cay island in the Great Barrier Reef area to Tay Cay. However, this name will not be used officially.
This is part of the agency’s efforts to invite Taylor Swift, in addition to adding top amenities such as helicopter shuttle service, snorkeling to see coral or picnics and enjoying champagne.
Taylor Swift during her concert in Sydney on February 24. Image: TAS
Tourism Queensland also offered to sponsor Taylor Swift on a luxury holiday on a nearby private island. The invitation will be publicly posted on many Australian media channels until February 27.
In the past, Vlasoff Cay was used many times by Queensland to promote tourism in this state. Taylor Swift herself is also familiar with Queensland when she spent a large amount of money on a vacation for her crew members in Hamilton – the largest inhabited island in Queensland – in 2015.
“It’s time for Taylor to enter his holiday era in Queensland. You will be fascinated by our magic,” said the head of Tourism and Events Queensland.
Helicopter flying over Vlasoff Cay. Image: Nautilus Avitation
Statistics show that Taylor Swift and her concerts have a strong impact on global tourism.
Lighthouse, a data provider for the travel and hospitality industry, called Eras Tour “a hospitality industry phenomenon” in research published in August. Meanwhile, STR, a data provider and analysis of the global hotel industry, estimating that hotels raked in $8 million following Taylor Swift’s US concerts over the summer. However, this is only a statistic from the female singer’s 208 concert nights, not including the night before and after the concert. RateGain, a global provider of travel and hospitality data, also noted a “lasting effect” on tour destinations as travelers are creating a concept called “Swift vacations.”
Compiling data from 13 stops of Taylor Swift’s North American tour, Lighthouse found that hotel room prices in the month before Swift’s tour increased on average 7,7% year-over-year and higher. 7,2% during the month of the tour.
