Ministry data shows foreign visitors to Goyang, where BTS held 3 concerts, jumped 35-fold, while card spending rose 38-fold
When global music sensation BTS held performances in central Seoul and Goyang during March and April, these high-profile events sparked a significant surge in tourism.
New data released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, and the Korea Tourism Organization reveals a remarkable trend: international fans demonstrated extended stays and substantially higher spending compared to average inbound tourists. Within days, foreign foot traffic and credit card expenditures in the areas surrounding the concert venues multiplied over 30-fold.
This comprehensive analysis leveraged two distinct data streams. The Korea Culture and Tourism Institute conducted surveys among 1,871 attendees at the March 21 Gwanghwamun concert and 2,328 attendees across the three Goyang shows on April 9, 11, and 12. Concurrently, the Korea Tourism Organization meticulously analyzed mobile carrier and credit card transaction data from the administrative districts encompassing each concert location.
International attendees of the Gwanghwamun concert enjoyed an average stay of 8.7 days in Korea, with individual spending reaching approximately 3.53 million won ($2,400). This contrasts sharply with the average inbound tourist in the first quarter of 2026, who stayed 6.1 days and spent 2.45 million won. Similarly, Goyang concertgoers extended their trips to 7.4 days on average, spending around 2.91 million won. Many combined their concert experience with visits to “BTS The City Seoul” locations, including prominent sites in Yongsan, Myeong-dong, Dongdaemun Design Plaza, and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.
The Korea Tourism Organization’s big-data analysis corroborated these findings, indicating a similar pattern of growth in the surrounding districts. A direct comparison of Daehwa-dong – the administrative district hosting the Goyang Sports Complex – showed an astounding increase in foreign visitors. Numbers soared from 1,397 during the same period last year to 48,581 across the three concert days, representing a staggering 3,377 percent jump. Concurrently, credit card spending by foreign nationals in the area dramatically rose from 8.9 million won to 337.8 million won, marking an impressive 3,699 percent increase.
The far-reaching “BTS effect” extends beyond Korea’s borders. Recently, El Paso County, Texas, honored the group with its prestigious Estimado Amigo award, acknowledging the band’s profound impact on local tourism and community engagement, as reported by Big Hit Music. The Commissioners Court further declared May 2-3, coinciding with BTS’s upcoming concerts in El Paso, as “El Paso BTS Weekend.”
Domestically, the next significant event will be in June, when BTS returns to Busan for two nights at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium on June 12-13. These highly anticipated shows will mark the group’s first performances in the city in nearly four years and will align with their 13th debut anniversary. Notably, members Jimin and Jungkook both hail from Busan, adding a special local connection.
To complement the Busan shows, the Culture Ministry and the Visit Korea Year Committee are launching a “Welcome Week” initiative from June 1-15. This program will feature support for four regional K-pop concerts, fund K-culture experience exhibitions at two concert-affiliated venues, and continue the development of Hallyu tourism routes, spotlighting popular K-drama and music-video filming locations.
Kang Jung-won, the head of the Tourism Policy Office, articulated the ministry’s strategic vision. In a recent statement, he emphasized plans to foster travel patterns where “the K-culture experience itself – encompassing music, film, drama, and games – becomes the primary purpose of the trip,” thereby encouraging longer regional stays and deeper engagement with Korean culture.
gypark
