BTS tour sends tourism industry abuzz; searches for Busan trips by foreigners up 2,375 pct

▲ K-pop boy group BTS is seen in this photo provided by BigHit Music. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Jan. 26 (Yonhap) -- As global K-pop sensation BTS announced a massive world tour starting in Goyang in April and spanning North America, Europe, South America and Asia with 82 shows, the tourism industry in host cities is seeing a surge in interest.

According to data released Monday by BigHit Music, citing global accommodation platform Hotels.com, inbound travel searches to Seoul from overseas jumped 155 percent week-on-week in the 48 hours after BTS unveiled its tour plans on Jan. 14.

In particular, inbound searches for Busan — where concerts are scheduled to coincide with the group’s debut anniversary in June — skyrocketed by 2,375 percent. Searches for trips to Busan from major Asian markets, including Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan, also rose by several thousand percent.

Domestic travel searches surged as well, with searches for trips to Seoul and Busan increasing 190 percent and 3,855 percent, respectively.

BTS is set to visit 34 cities worldwide on the tour, fueling excitement abroad as well.

Brazil’s BandNews FM reported that searches for bus tickets to Sao Paulo surged more than 600-fold compared with previous levels following the tour announcement, ahead of the group’s October concert there.

Britain’s Guardian also highlighted the tour’s economic ripple effects, noting expected increases in tourism, lodging and consumer spending in host cities. The newspaper described the tour as “a global event capable of having a major impact on city economies across North America.”

Quoting experts, the Guardian said concertgoers traveling from other regions typically spend about 3.4 times the ticket price on travel and tourism. “However, such averages do not apply to BTS,” it said, adding that the group is expected to far exceed those figures, making it difficult to even estimate the tour’s overall economic impact.

BTS is also contributing to South Korea’s national image. In the Culture Ministry’s “2025 National Image of South Korea Survey,” the group ranked first among Koreans who have had a positive influence on the country’s image. Member Jungkook placed sixth overall, the highest ranking for a solo singer.

BTS will release its fifth studio album, “ARIRANG,” on March 20. The album features 14 new tracks exploring universal themes such as the group’s identity, longing and deep love.

The band will follow up with a large-scale comeback performance at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on March 21, a day after the album’s release.

▲ A poster for BTS' arirang world tour, provided by BigHit Music. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved