. Bulging planes and packed trains poured revellers into the heart of Melbourne over a three-day party that delivered a welcome boost toTourists Siobhan Rafter and Lillian Dahya went to the Saturday Taylor Swift concert and spent days shopping in Melbourne.Melbourne Airport declared Friday a record day for passengers, while budget airline Jetstar has enjoyed a record February: traditionally a tough month in aviation even without the backdrop of a cost-of-living crisis.
Swift’s sold-out concerts meant almost nine out of 10 hotel rooms were booked over the weekend as visitors came from across Victoria, interstate and international, including a large contingent from New Zealand, Johnson said.Adrian Williams, a divisional chief operating officer with hotel company Accor, said Swift’s concerts had “supercharged” sales at the company’s hotels including the Pullman, Ibis and Mantra brands in Melbourne and Sydney.“This is a love story for Australian tourism,” he said.
On Friday, nighttime pedestrian activity at the St Kilda Road-Alexandra Gardens sensor was 75 per cent higher than the same time last year, and on Saturday it was nearly 4½ times higher than the corresponding time in 2023. Guerra said performers would see “we have the facility here on the doorstep of the city, and we can pull it off... it’s going to be enormous for Melbourne.”