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The start of Beyoncé's world tour in Sweden last month caused a lot of excitement.

Many people wanted to see her perform, so there was a high demand for hotels and restaurants. Demand was so high that it affected Sweden's economy.

The country reported that the cost of living went up more than expected in May. Economist Michael Grahn thinks that Beyoncé might be the reason for the higher prices.

In an email to the BBC, Grahn said that he doesn't only blame Beyoncé for the high prices. However, her performances and the global demand to see her in Sweden probably contributed to it.

It's very clear that the singer's first solo tour in seven years is a big deal. Some estimates say the tour will earn around £2 billion ($2.5B) by the time it finishes in September.

Airbnb reported that searches for places to stay in the cities where Beyoncé is performing increased significantly when the tour was announced. Tickets for many concerts sold out quickly, and their prices went up when resold.

In Stockholm, Beyoncé performed for two nights in front of 46,000 fans from all over the world.

Last month, Visit Stockholm described the increase in tourism to the city as the "Beyoncé effect".

Mr. Grahn said that it is unusual for one star to have such a big impact, similar to big soccer tournaments. He expects things to go back to normal in June.

Vocabulary

World tour - A trip around the world, visiting different places in many countries.

Cause - make something (usually bad) happen; create

Excitement - Feeling very happy, thrilled, or enthusiastic about something

Perform - to entertain people by dancing, singing, acting, or playing music

Demand - a need for goods or services that customers want to buy or use; a need or want; a need for something to be sold or supplied

Economy - the system according to which the money, industry, businesses and trade of a country/region are organized; the supply of money, production of goods and purchase of goods; the flow of money between people, businesses and government

Report - to tell other people about something; to share information; announce; explain

Cost of living - The amount of money needed to pay for basic things like food, housing, and transportation

Expect - to think something will happen; forecast; predict; suppose

Economist - A person who studies how money, resources, and businesses work in an economy

Blame - to feel, think or say that someone did something wrong;

Global - related to the whole world; everywhere in the world

Contribute - to give something, especially money, to help achieve or provide something; to affect

Solo - alone; individually; just one

A big deal - Something important, significant, or impressive

Estimate - guess; approximate; judge; suppose

Earn - to get something (usually money) because you worked, sold something, or helped someone; to receive

By the time - At a particular point in time or when a specific event happens; when

Significantly - In a noticeable or important way or manner

Sell out - When all the items or tickets available are bought and there are none left

Resell - to sell something again, usually after buying it from someone else

Unusual - not normal or typical; strange

Impact - influence; effect; consequence; to make change

Tournament - a contest or competition with only one winner after many games/rounds

Quiz

Discussion Questions

What do you think about Beyoncé's world tour and its impact on tourism and the economy?

In your opinion, should governments take any measures to regulate ticket prices for popular events like Beyoncé's tour?

Have you ever attended a concert or event that had a significant impact on a city or region? How was it?

Are there any other celebrities or events that you think could have a similar impact on tourism and the economy? Why?

Video

Original Story

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Beyoncé causes price increases in Sweden

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The start of Beyoncé's world tour in Sweden last month caused a lot of excitement. Many people wanted to see her perform, so there was a high demand for hotels and restaurants. Demand was so high that it affected Sweden's economy. The country reported that the cost of living went up more than expected in [...]

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STUDENT A's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student B.)

(1)

What springs to mind when you hear the word 'inflation'?

(2)

What is inflation and what causes it?

(3)

What is the rate of inflation in your country?

(4)

Has your country ever experiences high, hyper or spiraling inflation?

(5)

Why is inflation important to economists?

(6)

What does inflation mean to you on a daily basis?

(7)

What do governments do to control or curb inflation?

(8)

What creates runaway inflation like that in Zimbabwe?

(9)

How does high inflation affect the economy and the people in it?

(10)

What can you do to protect yourself against inflation?

STUDENT B's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student A.)

(1)

Do you follow the news on different rates of inflation around the world?

(2)

How do economies survive even with rates of inflation in the thousands of percent?

(3)

Who does inflation hit the hardest?

(4)

What is deflation and does this harm the economy?

(5)

Does inflation in other countries affect your country's economy?

(6)

Is there an important link between inflation and unemployment?

(7)

What is the difference between inflation and real inflation?

(8)

What are inflationary pressures?

(9)

What are the differences between wage and cost inflation?

(10)

What is the "market basket" used in calculating the CPI (Consumer Price Index) to get the figure for inflation?

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STUDENT A's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student B.) (1) What springs to mind when you hear the word 'inflation'? (2) What is inflation and what causes it? (3) What is the rate of inflation in your country? (4) Has your country ever experiences high, hyper or spiraling inflation?

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