The six sold-out shows of the American singer, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, slated in Singapore, have fueled a diplomatic row as Thailand and the Philippines express their concerns over the exclusive deal struck by Singapore. The arrangement, brokered by Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, forbids the pop star from performing anywhere else in Southeast Asia, a move that has triggered criticism from the neighboring nations.
The estimated 14 million pound deal has been branded as “unfriendly” by its critics, primarily Thailand and the Philippines, who claim it deprives them of increased tourism inflow linked to Swift’s concerts. The ‘Lover’ singer is set to perform six shows in Singapore from March 2 to 9 in the controversial arrangement.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin stated that he was unaware of the agreement that explicitly prevents Swift from performing elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Citing a concert promoter, he revealed that Singapore offered the singer up to US$3 million per show to secure the exclusive deal. “The Singapore government is astute. If she came to Thailand, it would have been cheaper to organize it here, and I believe she would attract more sponsors and tourists to Thailand,” said Thavisin during the iBusiness Forum 2024 in Bangkok.
On the other hand, Filipino lawmaker Joey Salceda disapproved of the deal, stating that it is not something that good neighbors do. “Our countries are good friends. That’s why actions like that hurt.” He mentioned how the arrangement lifted the Singaporean economy but was struck at the cost of neighboring nations who were unable to attract their foreign concert attendees.
Meanwhile, PM Lee confirmed that the incentives provided to Swift stemmed from a government fund created to revive Singapore’s tourism sector following the Covid-19 outbreak. He clarified that it was not meant to be unfriendly, adding that other nations may have had similar mutually beneficial arrangements when Swift previously performed in Sydney and Melbourne.
Information Box:
– Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour started on March 2 in Singapore.
– The exclusive deal with Singapore sparked diplomatic tensions with Thailand and the Philippines.
– This deal was part of Singapore’s plan to revive its tourism sector post Covid-19.
– Thai PM Srettha Thavisin and Filipino lawmaker Joey Salceda criticized the arrangement.
Sources:
– Reference 1: Anoushka Sharma, NDTV World News, March 06, 2024.
– Reference 2: Kathleen Magramo, CNN, March 5, 2024.
– Reference 3: Philip J. Heijmans And Bloomberg, Fortune.com, March 4, 2024.
Image CC2.0 Author makaiyla willis at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Taylor_Swift_NOW_Super_Saturday_Night_IMG_0758_edited_(32776594270).jpg 4 February 2017, 23:47 Image File: Taylor Swift NOW Super Saturday Night IMG 0758 edited (32776594270).jpg