Expedia’s Fall Travel Outlook reveals that traveler interest in Indianapolis is up 120%, the largest jump for any destination when looking at flight searches. According to Visit Indy, the city’s tourism board, it’s their best year in history.
In 2024, people flocked to Indianapolis for the NBA All-Star Game, NFL Combine, March Madness, the total solar eclipse, the Indy 500, and the Olympic Swimming Trials. And this fall, one of the biggest travel drivers of the past two years arrives: Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour.
“During the spring, the top destination was driven by the solar eclipse; this fall, it’s another force of nature — the bucket list Eras Tour,” says Melanie Fish, head of Expedia Group Brands public relations.
Fans Will Travel for Taylor
While most U.S. Eras Tour concerts occurred in 2023, nine bonus shows are in the 2024 schedule, stopping in Miami and New Orleans, which is also seeing a 40% bump in interest. Her final three American concerts occur in Indianapolis in November before heading to Canada to end the two-year-long, record-breaking tour.
As the cultural phenomenon comes to a close, fans are spending big to say one of Taylor’s iconic lines, “It was rare, I was there.” Those who attended previous U.S. shows averaged $1,300 on travel, hotel stays, food, merchandise, and costumes, creating a total U.S. economic impact of more than $10 billion. Earlier this year, Hotels.com shared with journalists that the average Swiftie stay is 2.5 days, resulting in wholly booked hotels and jam-packed cities wherever the tour goes.
“We’re expecting 200,000-plus visitors to Central Indiana and sold-out hotels throughout the region,” shares Morgan Snyder of Visit Indy. “With Indy being a drivable destination for most Americans, we anticipate fans who don’t have a concert ticket might come to hang out with fellow fans.”
Vacationers Are Falling for Indianapolis
Expedia’s report reveals the Taylor effect is only partially responsible for increased interest in Indianapolis. Fall foliage hunters can get their fix while enjoying an urban city and then get spooked along the 78-year-running Irvington Halloween festival. Opening this fall, the InterContinetal Indianapolis adds refined luxury and epic views of Downtown’s Monument Circle. Or art lovers can stay at Conrad’s renowned Collection Suites amidst an on-site gallery of works by Warhol, Dali, and Picasso and downtown’s only hotel spa.
According to the American Express Travel 2024 Global Trends Report, 37% of frequent travelers took a trip specifically to attend a sporting event this year. The Sports Events and Tourism Association (Sports ETA) reports a quarter of fans fly, and 1 in 10 visit a destination for the first time, driving leisure travel across the United States. And for Indianapolis tourism, it is just another piece of the Caitlin Clark effect.
“Caitlin Clark has single-handedly changed the trajectory of women’s sports, and we’re so lucky to have her playing for the WNBA Indiana Fever. The Fever have sold out their home games and shattered all ticket sales records. Additionally, for the first time since 2016, they’ve clinched a spot in playoffs, so the hype continues,” adds Synder.
Where Else Are Travelers Dreaming of This Fall?
According to the Expedia Fall Travel Outlook, perennial favorites Las Vegas, New York City, Orlando, Los Angeles, and Boston are the most looked-at domestic destinations. Expedia shoppers increasingly eye international locales with cross-border flight searches up 15% year-over-year. Icons Cancun, Paris, London, Rome, and Tokyo are top world travelers’ searches on the platform.
Virtuoso, whose network of global luxury travel agencies books $80 billion worth of trips a year, sees a 108% increase in Fall vacations to Japan as travelers look to catch fall foliage and explore in cooler temperatures. Across the country, Japan’s dense forests vividly turn orange, yellow, and red, and the humidity falls.
In the Kii Peninsula, easily accessible from Kyoto and Osaka and full of UNESCO World Heritage sites, the autumn colors reflect into the Pacific Ocean. The Nasu Highlands, a 70-minute bullet train ride from Tokyo, is home to some of Japan’s most famous hot springs, majestic mountain backdrops, and Japanese maple and beech trees that turn a mosaic of rich fall colors. Or check in to HOSHINOYA Fuji, the country’s first glamping resort located in the woods beneath the iconic Mt. Fuji, for an immersive yet luxe alpine fall foliage experience. North of Tokyo, nestle into Nikko National Park in luxury at the Ritz-Carlton. View the stunning foliage on nature trails, from a kayak on Lake Chūzenji, in a Zen rock garden, on each room’s traditional Japanese porch, or while in their on-site hot spring onsen.
Falling Prices Lure Travelers
For many destinations, fall is “shoulder season.” Often the sweet spot between tourist high season and low season is comfortable weather, fewer crowds, and more wallet-friendly hotel rates. On Expedia, London, Dublin, Honolulu, Toronto, and Aruba’s ticket prices fell 15% or more compared to summer, making dream trips fit into budgets.
“I recently booked an early October trip to Ireland to take advantage of lower prices and fewer crowds. My round-trip airfare from my small Wisconsin airport to Dublin was just $838, compared to over $1,000 during summer. One hotel I booked was $250 cheaper per night during October vs June or July,” outlines Lindsey Puls, founder of Have Clothes Will Travel.
“I’ve been wanting to do a family trip to Portland, Maine for a while, but the summer high-season was proving to be cost-prohibitive,” shares Alex Caspero, Founder of Delish Knowledge. “Instead, we booked a trip in early October for cheaper airfare and lodging accommodations. We’ll still get to experience the city’s charm, such as taking a lobster boat tour and seeing the lighthouses, but for less.”
“Fall is our go-to travel season. In shoulder season, we have scored 5-star hotels for a fraction of the cost,” says Georgia Konidari, Frequent Traveler, Greece Native and Founder of World Wild Schooling. “September and the first half of October are the best times to visit Greece. Why fight for a sunset photo in Santorini when you can have it all to yourself? Once you go on holiday in the fall, there’s no going back to paying high-season prices and battling summer crowds,” she adds.
