"BTS Gwanghwamun concert boom" Foreign bookings at nearby hotels surge 103%

Ahead of the comeback concert "BTS The Comeback Live: Arirang," foreign tourists' bookings for accommodation in Korea have surged.
According to travel and lodging platform AllMyTour on the 20th, the number of bookings by inbound foreign visitors for the third week of this month, when the concert is scheduled, jumped 103% from the previous week and 63.3% from the same period a year earlier. Total bookings for March also rose 33.5% year-on-year, reflecting the growing influence of K-content.
By area, 41.8% of all reservations were concentrated in neighborhoods near the concert venue, including Myeong-dong, the Seoul City Hall area, Jongno and Dongdaemun, with a clear preference for three- to four-star hotels. By nationality, visitors from Greater China accounted for the largest share at 41%, followed by North America and Europe at 29.2% and Southeast Asia at 26.2%.
In fact, BTS concerts are seen as more than just cultural events; they are evaluated as generating enormous economic value. An analysis by the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute estimated that a single BTS concert held in Korea produces an economic impact of about 1.2 trillion won.
An AllMyTour representative said, "K-content has become the most powerful driver of demand for travel to Korea," adding, "We will help lead the growth of the inbound market through K-content-linked products that combine performances and tourism."
jsm64@fnnews.com Jeong Sun-min Reporter