알파경제 - BTS Fandom “ARMY” Sparks Surge in Travel Searches as World Tour Returns After Four Years

Photo: HYBE

[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] The global fandom of BTS, known as “ARMY,” is buzzing with excitement over the announcement of the K-pop group’s world tour, returning after a four-year hiatus. Following the release of the tour schedule, searches for flights and accommodations to South Korea skyrocketed, underscoring the renewed impact of “concert-driven tourism” centered around K-pop.

According to global online travel platform Hotels.com, in the 48 hours following the January 13 announcement of the BTS world tour, international travel searches targeting South Korea increased sharply, led primarily by Seoul and Busan. Compared with the previous week, searches for Seoul rose 155%, while searches for Busan surged an extraordinary 2,375%.

The spike in interest, occurring even before ticket sales began, highlights the rush of global fans planning visits to South Korea to witness BTS’s comeback performances in person. The increase in Seoul-related searches reflects simultaneous demand from both the Asia-Pacific region, particularly Japan, and North America. By country, Japan led the growth with a 400% increase, followed by Taiwan (260%), Hong Kong (170%), and the United States (95%).

Despite only two performances being scheduled in Busan, overseas search interest was even more pronounced. During the same period, searches for Busan from Japan surged 10,545%, while Hong Kong (7,100%), Taiwan (1,275%), and the U.S. (835%) also saw sharp increases. Analysts noted that in some markets, accommodation searches effectively became a “click competition.”

This trend reflects a new wave of music-driven travel consumption. Hotels.com’s travel trends report highlights the rapid rise of “tour tourism,” where fans travel specifically for concerts or music events. According to the survey, 70% of respondents expressed greater interest in traveling for performances than before, and 43% indicated a willingness to leave their city or country to see their favorite artists live.

Domestic travel demand also surged alongside international interest. Within 48 hours of the tour announcement, searches for domestic travel to Seoul rose 190% compared to the previous week, while Busan saw an extraordinary 3,855% increase, indicating a steep upward trajectory in local travel activity.

알파경제 Kim Jisun (stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)