SINGAPORE: The "Swift Effect" is about to hit Southeast Asia, but Singapore has left some of its neighbors seeing red while it profits from a Taylor-made tourism boom as the star's only stop in the region.

More than 300,000 fans from the city-state and neighboring countries will attend the US superstar's six sold-out Eras Tour shows at the National Stadium from March 2-9.

Ingrid Delgado, a fresh graduate in Manila who is traveling to Singapore for the March 4 show, said she bought a "new shimmering dress" for the occasion but had trouble finding an affordable hotel.

US singer Taylor Swift performs on stage during a concert as part of her Eras World Tour in Sydney on February 23, 2024.DAVID GRAY / AFP

"A lot were booked already, so I had to book a more expensive hotel," she said.

The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts, as well as the Fairmont Hotel, said the demand for rooms during the concert period had risen.

Big spenders have taken up Marina Bay Sands' luxury packages named after Swift's hit songs, such as "Shake it Off" and "Stay Stay Stay."

The hotel's SG$50,000 ($37,230) "Wildest Dreams" package includes VIP tickets, fine dining, a hotel suite, limousine transfers and passes to tourist attractions.

The hotel said all its packages were sold out.

Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines said there had been increased demand for Singapore-bound flights but could not say whether it was solely due to the "Swift Effect."

A large contingent of Malaysian Swifties will be crossing into neighboring Singapore.

"It's a dream come true. I feel excited and nervous," said Harith Arsat, a 20-year-old student who will be making his first overseas trip from Kuala Lumpur.

In the Philippines, budget carrier Cebu Pacific has changed its usual flight number for Singapore-bound planes to "1989" — the year Swift was born and the title of her fifth album — for the March 1-9 period.

Red carpet

However, not everyone was happy when Swift's only Southeast Asia stop was announced, including fans and governments in some of Singapore's neighbors.

Traveling to Singapore is expensive for many in the region due to high currency exchanges, to say nothing of ritzy hotel packages.

Some were also unhappy because Singapore provided a grant to help secure Swift's record-breaking tour for the city-state.

Officials from the Culture Ministry and Singapore Tourism Board, citing business confidentiality, declined to say last week how much was paid, or whether an exclusivity deal had been signed to make Singapore Swift's sole Southeast Asian stop.

That followed reports that Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin had told a business forum in Bangkok that Singapore had indeed made such a deal.

Singapore officials did not address Srettha's comments directly but said Swift's shows were "likely to generate significant benefits to the Singapore economy."

Singapore has been rolling out the red carpet for many international artists, such as Blackpink, Harry Styles and Ed Sheeran, since ending its Covid-19 pandemic curbs.

Coldplay performed six sold-out shows in January, and upcoming acts include Bruno Mars, Sum 41 and Jerry Seinfeld.

"Singapore started to open faster than others after the pandemic, and its first-mover advantage and concerted efforts to bring in acts, events and conventions has helped," Song Seng Wun, economic adviser for CGS International, said.

"That momentum has been building up."

Don't lose money swiftly

Millions scrambled for tickets when they went on sale last year, which led to a rise in online scams targeting desperate Swifties.

Singapore police even released a social media video with the tagline: "Don't lose money swiftly, buy your tickets safely."

Regardless of the dangers, Ericko Dimas Pamungkas, 25, in Jakarta, logged in to three devices to get a ticket queue number.

"I got very lucky. I feel like this concert is one of the most important moments for me," he said.

Swift has evolved from a singer with relatable lyrics into a canny businesswoman and the world's biggest pop star, and fans believe there is plenty to learn from the 34-year-old.

"I appreciate Taylor's candidness and what she stands for, such as rights, generosity and compassion," said Spencer Ler, a Singaporean pilot who queued for 22 hours to get tickets for his daughter and her friends.

"It's something the girls can learn from."

Scammed

In the Philippines, GMA Network's Sparkle star Sofia Pablo was among the victims of a scammer pretending to sell tickets for Taylor Swift's "The Eras Tour" concert in Singapore.

On her Facebook page, Pablo reshared a post from the Philippine Concerts page warning: "This scammer is in his cruel summer era, with nearly 15 million pesos taken away from over 100 victims in the Philippines."

The 17-year-old young actress then wrote in the repost, "I'm one of the 100 victims:((("

In response to a fan's comment, she said she was supposed to attend the March 3 concert in Singapore.

In a report by GMA News "24 Oras Weekend," Pablo said the seller met with victims to have them sign a sales contract.

"He even provided fake email screenshots complaining to Ticketmaster about being the only reseller with a voided account. The seller claimed that his account was voided by Ticketmaster due to someone reporting him for reselling tickets," Pablo said.

The contract he showed to the victims stated that the buyer could sue him if he failed to provide the tickets. But when the day came for him to deliver the tickets, the suspect didn't provide anything. The suspect allegedly claimed that there was an issue with his source for the tickets.

In an interview with showbiz website Pep.ph, Pablo said she was scammed twice. In August 2023, she searched for tickets and found that they were sold out.

She found a seller in the online marketplace platform Carousel. They met, and she received account details but later found the account disabled. The original owner of the account confirmed the account was hacked.

The first seller offered a refund but could only pay in installments. Pablo then declined and asked for ticket replacements. The first seller recommended the second seller, who suggested settling the balance directly and buying from him instead. Pablo made payments expecting to receive the tickets for the Singapore concert on February 20, but she never received them.

That's when the second seller claimed Ticketmaster voided his account due to reselling. The original owner of the tickets contacted Pablo, revealing she had made a deal with a scammer.

Pablo then reported the scam to the National Bureau of Investigation, involving over 100 other victims and a total of P15 million. AFP and Iza Iglesias

Read The Rest at :