Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong defended an exclusive deal with Taylor Swift on Tuesday that prevents the pop star from taking her eras tour anywhere else in Southeast Asia making his government, make the country the only stop in Southeast Asia her world tour, defending that it was not a “hostile” act towards its neighbors.
Swift is performing six concerts from March 2 to 9 in Singapore under an exclusive deal that has been reportedly criticized by the south-east neighbors who claim that Singapore is depriving them of the “tourist industry boon” that her concerts bring. Lee confirmed on Tuesday that Taylor Swift was provided with “certain incentives” from government funds established to rebuild the tourism industry after COVID-19 Disruptions to make Singapore her only Southeast Asian angle.
What did Lee say?
“[Our] agencies negotiated an arrangement with her to visit Singapore and perform to make her tour’s only destination to stop.” Hsien said in a press conference in Melbourne where he is attending regional summit.
Lee says, “it has turned out to be a very successful arrangement. I don’t see that as being unfriendly in any sort.”
Lee avoided answering direct questions when asked about encountering “bad blood” among leaders due to this alleged deal. He backs his answers as he says ” Sometimes one country makes a deal, sometimes another country does. I don’t explicitly say you will come here only on condition that you’ll not go to other places.”
Lee comments on Australia eras tour that he expected Australia made similar “mutually acceptable, sensible arrangements” with Swift when she performed in Sydney and Melbourne before Singapore tour. Lee expressed his concerns as he was unaware on Australia’s arrangements.
“If that’s what needed to be done to get an outcome which is mutually beneficial and which, from Singapore’s point of view, serves not just to grow the economy but also to bring in visitors and goodwill from all over the region, I don’t see why not,” Hsien says.
This news however stood as an utter disappointment to a huge number of Swifties- Swift’s fans across South-east Asia when it was announced last year that she would skip most of the region and only stop in Singapore during her Eras Tour . It stood as a problem for even those who wanted to see her , securing tickets was a difficult task.
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