FLast year, people across Southeast Asia were watching Red when news broke that Singapore would be the regional stop for Taylor Swift's Elas Tour. But as concertgoers flock to Singapore for the pop star's six sold-out performances starting this weekend, the deal for Time magazine's 2023 Talent in Residence award was not specifically brokered by Singaporean authorities. As suspicions have surfaced, bad blood seems to be brewing among neighboring government officials. Stay Stay in the city-state.
On Wednesday, Philippine Rep. Joey Salceda called on the Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs to pressure its Singaporean counterpart to explain the delicate situation, local media reported.
“If true, then [this] “That's not what a good neighbor would do,” Salceda said, adding that while the subsidy gave Singapore's economy a big boost, “it was at the expense of our neighbours. “We couldn't bring in people, so our fans had to do that,” he added. Please go to Singapore. ”
“This also goes against the principles of consensual relations and solidarity on which ASEAN was founded,” he said, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which helps coordinate cooperation in the region.
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Speculation of an exclusive deal between Singapore and Taylor Swift was first raised by Thai Prime Minister Sureta Thabisin, who spoke at a business forum in Bangkok on February 16th about Swift's concert promoter Anschutz Entertainment.・He said he heard that the Singapore government had signed an exclusive contract with AEG. offered Swift's team up to $3 million per show in Singapore in exchange for a promise not to perform outside of Southeast Asia during her Elas tour.
AEG did not immediately respond to TIME's request for comment, but Singapore's Tourism and Youth Authority said in a joint statement that the tourism board “supported the event through grants” without specifying the amount or details of the restrictive clause. he admitted to TIME.
“If we had known this, we would have taken the show to Thailand,” Suletta said at the forum, calling the Singapore government “smart” for brokering an exclusive deal with the organizers.
It's no wonder why governments are desperate to have Swift adorn their stadiums. The Grammy Award-winning singer is known for boosting local economies wherever she goes. More than 300,000 tickets were sold for Swift's Singapore performance, and the buzz surrounding the concert has given the city-state an incredible economic boost. Tourists coming to see Swift perform have driven up local hotel and flight prices by up to 30%, and experts say Swift's concerts could generate up to $500 million in tourism revenue. We estimate that there is. We also believe that the city's knock-on economic effects have solidified its reputation. Large scale event hub.
In a statement to Time magazine, the Ministry of Youth Affairs said: “We worked directly with AEG Presents to bring Taylor Swift to Singapore to perform in Singapore, recognizing the huge demand from Singaporeans as well as fans across the region.” said.
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While some criticize Singapore's maneuvers, others see an opportunity to try to replicate Singapore's success. Indonesia's tourism minister told Bloomberg earlier this month that “Indonesian tourism needs 'swiftnomics'” and said the country is introducing policies to attract more tourists to visit Indonesia. This includes seed funding of up to 2 trillion rupiah (approximately $127 million) per year. Support music, sports and cultural events.
And last week, in connection with the alleged contract with Swift in Singapore, a question was asked whether Hong Kong would consider “similar arrangements” as it seeks to attract pop concerts to boost Hong Kong's post-pandemic economy. In response, John Li, leader of the Chinese enclave, said: Kong City is in fierce competition with other cities striving to improve themselves, so we must work relentlessly to attract mega events such as matches, sporting events, and cultural events. . ”
Hong Kong authorities recently awarded nearly $2 million in grants to bring Lionel Messi, Time Magazine's 2023 Athlete of the Year, and his team, Inter Miami, to Hong Kong for a friendly match. They invested money, but the result was a disaster.