- BTS Arirang Goyang live viewing gained a massive amount of theatre response across both Americas while hitting No. 2 in Mexico.
- After the South Korea leg of the tour, BTS’ demand in the US is also driving cross-border travel spikes and a narrowing of hotel supply.
- A pre-booking by a Dallas resident was suddenly canceled and was relisted at an inflated price, intensifying scrutiny.
BTS is boosting the global economic engine rapidly by shattering box office records across the world with its live viewing, while also causing a price hike in the hospitality sector. The scale of the phenomenon generated by the K-pop titan is best seen in Mexico, where the live broadcast of the group’s Goyang concert held the second spot in the weekend box office. BTS Arirang Goyang live viewing reportedly produced 48.1 million pesos, which is roughly ₩ 4.1 billion (~ $2.8M USD), according to The Chosun Daily. The event reportedly also exceeded the revenue of key cinematic releases, including The Drama starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, and Ryan Gosling’s Project Hail Mary.
Although the animated Super Mario Galaxy: The Movie held the No. 1 spot, all BTS screenings, including those at dawn, managed to bring in a total of 167,000 attendees despite a shortage of theaters. This surge bolstered Mexico to outearn the United States market, which reportedly logged $2.44M on the same day (data from Box Office Mojo cited by The Chosun Daily). This is a remarkable feat considering that Mexico’s film market is actually less than one-tenth the size of the US market.
Amidst the Mexico Win, Sudden Hotel Cancellations in US Trigger Price Surge Controversy
However, this massive demand has not been able to shield the darker side for fans who intend to travel to live tour dates. According to KFOX14, a media outlet from Texas, US, reported that a Dallas resident had been subjected to an abrupt cancellation of her reservation at the La Quinta Inn by Wyndham El Paso East Lomaland. The Dallas resident named Sasha Thomas initially booked a $500 two-night stay at the property via Hotels.com to experience BTS’ May concert series. Nevertheless, her plans derailed when the hotel canceled her booking, citing "essential maintenance" scheduled from May 1 to May 7.
Yet, the maintenance claim appeared to be partially masking a significant price hike. Thomas allegedly discovered that the very room was actually relisted for the same dates at an inflated price that surpasses $1,100. "It’s a moral problem to gouge like that," Thomas said to KFOX14, noting the lack of clear communication from the property. "Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if they hadn't lied..."
BTS at the 2017 American Music Awards (Image Credit: Shutterstock)
Notably, such price gouging patterns in the ticketing and hospitality sector were also visible in South Korea ahead of BTS’ Gwanghwamun comeback show and Goyang concert run. Local authorities then initiated measures to combat such blatant price rises with severe checks, amounting to penalties if found to be violating.
US Hospitality Sector’s Dynamic Pricing Strategy Under Heavy Scrutiny
As reported by KFOX14, industry representatives like Marianne Ayub, Vice President of the El Paso Hotel Lodging Association, observed that while not common, price spikes are often done when an “influx” of high-volume reservations are experienced. According to Ayub, it allegedly “protects the demand” as soon as the industry detects a surge in interest. Additionally, she also noted that such decisions are mostly looked at by the revenue managers of the entities.
The fallout caused Thomas to file a formal complaint with the Texas Attorney General’s office, which holds the authority to look into price gouging issues after official disaster declarations. Although the Attorney General’s office has yet to comment, the platform provider, Expedia Group, stated they are currently investigating the incident.
BTS Demand Drives Market Tensions
Despite the increased markup and the corporate discord, BTS’ cultural momentum remains unshakable. With 700,000 monthly Spotify listeners of BTS in Mexico City, the region's hunger for the group’s content is insatiable. Before BTS had begun touring, due to the high demand, the Mexican President had reached out to her South Korean peer to ask for more dates. While HYBE did extend BTS’ Latin America leg months later, unfortunately, it did not include Mexico in it. Nonetheless, fans living within Mexico or in the broader LatAm region can visit Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil (including both previously slated and extended schedules) to watch BTS live.
For fans like Thomas, the frustration with such abrupt cancellations has soured their trust. Nonetheless, Thomas’ resolve hasn’t dampened. "Someone should be held accountable," she said to KFOX14, confirming that she still may attend the May concert despite such lodging hurdles. "We’re going to enjoy ourselves; we’re not going to let it ruin everything."
