The announcement of BTS’s world tour has sent ripples through global tourism and economic sectors. Starting on April 9 at the Goyang Sports Complex Main Stadium, BTS will embark on their ‘Arirang (ARIRANG)’ world tour, covering 34 cities across North America, Europe, South America, and Asia. The tour, consisting of 82 performances in total, is already making an impact on tourism and economics in these regions.
According to the global accommodation platform Hotels.com, within 48 hours of BTS announcing their tour plans, travel searches to Seoul increased by 155% compared to the previous week. Searches for Busan, where performances will be held in June, surged by 2375%. In major Asian regions like Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, search rates for trips to Busan rose by thousands of percent. Domestic searches for Seoul (190%) and Busan (3855%) have also seen significant growth.
The response overseas is equally enthusiastic. BandNews FM, a Brazilian news radio station, highlighted BTS’s upcoming concert in São Paulo in October as a major topic. They cited data from the local transport sales platform ClickBus, noting that searches for bus tickets to São Paulo increased by over 600 times following the tour announcement.
The Guardian, a UK newspaper, also focused on the economic impact of BTS’s world tour, quoting economists who described it as a “global event capable of significantly impacting city economies across North America.” They predicted a surge in demand for tourism, accommodation, and consumption in each city hosting the performances.
Furthermore, Bread Financial, a financial services company, suggested that each concert ticket typically generates more than three times its cost in regional economic impact. However, Tourism Economics, a tourism-focused economic analysis institution, emphasized that these averages do not apply to BTS. They stressed that BTS’s impact would far exceed these figures, making it difficult to gauge the economic ripple effects of the tour.
Not only does BTS influence the global economy, but they also play a significant role in enhancing South Korea’s image. According to a survey on South Korea’s national image by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, BTS ranked as the top group positively affecting Korea’s image. Additionally, Jungkook ranked sixth among solo artists.
Meanwhile, BTS will release their fifth full-length album ‘Arirang (ARIRANG)’ at 1 PM on March 20. The new album will include 14 tracks and is expected to resonate with global music fans by dealing with universal emotions like identity, longing, and deep love.
