Agoda has recorded increased travel interest in South Korea’s Goyang and Busan following the announcement of BTS’s world tour dates earlier this week. The tour marks the group’s first since a four-year hiatus.
According to Agoda, accommodation searches for Goyang rose by almost eight times compared with the previous week after the tour dates were confirmed. BTS is scheduled to open the tour in the city on April 9, followed by performances on April 11 and April 12. Busan also saw an increase in interest, with searches rising by 47 per cent over the same period.
The rise in demand has been driven largely by travellers from across Asia. Agoda data shows the highest search volumes for South Korean tour destinations came from Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Hong Kong and China. Searches from the Philippines for Goyang and Busan increased by more than seven times week on week, while searches from Hong Kong rose by 145 per cent. Searches from China more than doubled following the announcement, despite no tour dates currently scheduled there.
Interest has also extended beyond South Korea. Agoda reported higher search activity for other Asian cities linked to the tour schedule, including a doubling of searches for Kaohsiung and an 18 per cent increase for Tokyo, indicating that fans are prepared to travel internationally to attend concerts.
The data reflects short-term shifts in travel planning following major entertainment announcements, with concert dates influencing accommodation searches in host cities shortly after confirmation.
“BTS fans are truly ‘dynamite’ in their enthusiasm, and Agoda is thrilled to help them experience the ‘euphoria’ of catching the K-pop group live at these exciting tour destinations,” said Matteo Frigerio, chief marketing officer at Agoda.
