Can BTS’s Comeback With Arirang Outshine Taylor Swift’s Global Tours?

BTS is set to make a triumphant return to the stage with their Arirang world tour, kicking off on April 19 in South Korea. The announcement has sent fans into a frenzy, with many already booking flights and planning trips to see the group live after a long hiatus.

Reports show a sharp spike in global travel interest following the tour date reveal. On January 14, searches for trips to Seoul and Busan surged dramatically compared to the previous week.

The excitement isn’t limited to South Korea; fans across Asia, including Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, have also shown massive growth in travel searches. The anticipation to finally see Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook back on stage is at an all-time high.

Global Travel Searches Rise After

Tour Dates Reveal

As reported by Seoul Economic Daily, Hotels.com suggested that travel interest jumped soon after the tour news was announced on January 14. Within just two days, the number of people from other countries searching for places to stay in Seoul went up by 155% than in the week before. Interest in Busan, which will host concerts in June, rose even faster, with searches jumping by 2,375%.

Searches for Busan from countries like Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan rose by a huge margin. Travel interest within South Korea also grew, as domestic searches for Seoul climbed by 190%, while Busan saw an even bigger rise of 3,855%. This data shows how quickly the tour pushed fans to plan trips and book accommodation.

The Guardian also looked at how BTS’s world tour affects money and travel in many cities. Timothy Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University, explained that every tour stop will bring more visitors, fill hotels and increase spending in a way that is rare to see. In many cases, the impact can even be bigger than Taylor Swift’s global tours. Fans also shared how fast they act once BTS announces a tour.

Many book flights and hotels first, even before getting concert tickets. For them, spending on BTS is normal and planned. Fans are ready to use their money on travel, stays, food and shopping, all to be part of the concert experience.

Arirang World Tour Covers Asia, Europe, America And Australia

BTS will travel to many parts of the world as part of their Arirang world tour. The tour will open in Goyang on April 9, followed by Tokyo on April 17 and 18. The group will then head to the United States, with shows in Tampa, El Paso, Mexico City, Stanford and Las Vegas between April and May. In June, BTS will perform in Busan and Madrid, before moving to Brussels, London, Munich and Paris in July. August will see concerts in East Rutherford, Foxborough, Baltimore, Arlington, Toronto, Chicago and Los Angeles.

The tour will continue in South America with stops in Bogota, Lima, Santiago, Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo from October. Asia dates include Kaohsiung, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, Hong Kong and Manila, while Australia will host shows in Melbourne and Sydney. More cities are yet to be announced, including Japan and the Middle East.

Ahead of the world tour, BTS will drop their fifth album, Arirang, on March 20. The album has 14 tracks and comes nearly three years after their last release, Proof, which came out in June 2022.