Taylor Swift sparks 1,329% surge in global searches for Italy’s Portofino

By Linh Le October 10, 2025 | 01:18 am PT

Global Google searches for Portofino, a fishing village on the Italian Riviera, surged 1,329% within just one hour of the release of Taylor Swift’s new album “The Life of a Showgirl.”

American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift in a promotional photoshoot for her latest album "The Life of a Showgirl." Photo from Swift's Instagram

According to the Daily Mail, city break experts at the holiday company Travel Republic reported the spike, attributing it to Swift’s song "Elizabeth Taylor," which features the lyric: "That view of Portofino was on my mind." The track references American actress Elizabeth Taylor, who was proposed to by Welsh actor Richard Burton at Portofino’s Hotel Splendido.

Released on Oct. 3, "The Life of a Showgirl" has already made waves in the music world, breaking opening-week sales records previously held by Adele’s 2015 album "25," as reported by The New York Times.

Swift, 36, is no stranger to influencing travel trends. Her 2020 album "Folklore" featured the song "The Lakes," which references Windermere in the Lake District National Park of the U.K., resulting in a 311% increase in bookings and a 217% spike in online searches for the area.

Similarly, her song "The Black Dog," from "The Tortured Poets Department" album released in 2024, prompted fans to flock to the Black Dog pub in Vauxhall, London, according to CBS News. In response, the pub even introduced Swift-themed drinks and food to its menu.