Shakira’s concert series in Mexico as part of her international tour, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (Women Don’t Cry Anymore), represented her much-anticipated return following a seven-year hiatus and allowed the Colombian icon to achieve several unprecedented milestones. This tour also created a historic impact by enhancing tourism and generating millions in economic revenue across the three primary cities of this country, which boasts the second-largest economy in Latin America, after Brazil.
Among the numerous accomplishments that La Loba achieved in Mexico with her seventh and most ambitious international tour, the sale of 645,000 tickets for her 11 planned concerts is particularly notable, based on data from the promoter OCESA. Out of those, 455,000 tickets were sold for seven performances at Mexico City’s Estadio GNP Seguros (March 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28, and 30), which marks the highest number of shows by any artist at this renowned venue (previously known as Foro Sol), a location that has welcomed icons such as Paul McCartney, Coldplay, Taylor Swift, and Metallica.
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In addition, 90,000 tickets were sold for her two concerts at the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara (March 16 and 17), and another 100,000 tickets were for two shows at the Estadio BBVA in Monterrey (March 12 and 13), where the Mexican segment of her tour commenced.
Ticketmaster México reports that 2.5 million people visited its website seeking tickets to Shakira’s concerts since the tour was announced in the country last October, based on data shared with Billboard Español. This positions her as the most searched artist on Ticketmaster in the past year, according to the ticket vendor.
“Out of the 90,000 tickets sold for Estadio Akron, 37,000 were bought by individuals from outside the city, which indicates an influx of tourism,” said Gustavo Staufert, the general director of the Guadalajara Visitors and Conventions Office (OFVC, by its acronym in Spanish), to Billboard Español, referencing data from OCESA and Ticketmaster México. “Considering double hotel occupancy, we are looking at 40,000 rooms utilized nightly, generating around 80 million pesos (approximately $4 million) in direct hotel revenue, and an estimated tourism revenue of 900 million pesos (approximately $44.4 million).”
Shakira’s tour promoting her album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran has created notable excitement in the Mexican locales it has reached. Mexico City is the focal point of the Latin American segment, where the seven planned performances at the Estadio GNP Seguros are projected to generate an estimated economic impact of 5.5 billion pesos (approximately $275 million), according to data from the CDMX Secretariat of Tourism provided to Billboard Español. “That figure only includes lodging, dining, and entertainment; ticket sales revenue is excluded,” clarified Mexico City’s Tourism Secretary, Alejandra Frausto, in an interview.
In Mexico City, the performance by the “Antología” singer is also creating roughly 20,000 jobs in logistics, security, transport, and production, benefiting workers in a variety of sectors, including hospitality, restaurants, and airlines, as well as street vendors and local businesses near the venues, noted Frausto.
According to Ticketmaster data, approximately 30% to 40% of those attending Shakira’s concerts in Mexico are traveling from other states to one of the three cities hosting the performances. A request for information from Billboard Español to the Nuevo León Secretariat of Tourism and the Nuevo León Tourism Development Corporation (Codetur) about the economic implications of Shakira’s appearance in Monterrey had not received a response at the time this was published.
A world-class show that “is worth it all”
To follow Shakira’s journey through Mexico, “her pack” goes above and beyond. This includes Édgar Lima, a chemical engineer from Mexico City, who is set to attend all 11 performances by his idol in the country. In an interview with the newspaper Reforma, the devoted fan revealed he spent nearly 80,000 pesos (about $4,000) solely on tickets, in addition to 12,000 pesos (roughly $600) for travel and lodging in Guadalajara and Monterrey.
Experts highlight that staging events with prominent music artists like the Colombian star not only mobilizes her supporters but also provides advantages for the local economy and enhances connectivity between national and international destinations.
The travel company Despegar, a sponsor of this tour, indicated a notable rise in demand for flights and accommodations in the three key cities included in the tour, with an average increase of 43% during the concert dates (March 12 to 30). “Monterrey particularly experienced a 66% rise in hotel demand,” the company detailed in a statement.
The company noted that most of the travelers to these cities were from Mexico City, Veracruz, Chihuahua, Mérida, and Cancún. Meanwhile, Frausto mentioned that Mexico City welcomed visitors from across the nation, as well as international guests from the United States, El Salvador, Colombia, and Peru.
An interesting outcome of the Colombian artist’s visit to Mexico was an increase in hotel and lodging bookings in the three Mexican cities hosting *Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran* from Las Vegas. “Tourism and music have always been intertwined, and Shakira’s presence in Mexico is a perfect illustration of how major events can drive traveler mobility,” said Santiago Elijovich, VP & Country Manager Mexico at Despegar, as referenced in the statement.
Édgar Lima asserts that every peso spent on attending Shakira’s 11 concerts in Mexico is worthwhile. “I believe she delivers a world-class experience, and attending all the shows affirms that every investment is justified and that every peso spent was undoubtedly the best decision I could have made.”
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
