Travel Companies Ride BTS 2026 Comeback to Boost Seoul Trips

• BTS' free Gwanghwamun comeback concert has prompted a surge of Seoul travel packages centered on the occasion.
• Seoul anticipates large crowds with sharp increases in hotel bookings and a significant economic boost throughout the concert season.
• Analysts say that BTS has bolstered fandom-driven tourism to new highs, making it a long-term growth driver for South Korea through 2026.

South Korean and international travel companies are selling BTS-themed holiday packages as the global K-pop group prepares for a historic comeback and a free concert at Gwanghwamun Square. The push highlights how concert-driven travel and fan-focused tourism are re-emerging as commercial growth engines tied to major K-pop events.

The BTS-themed packages include planned multi-day itineraries that take fans to areas related to the group's history, music, and public image. Tourism operators explain the services as a response to the rise of "fan pilgrimage" travel, in which concerts dominate most of the vacation schedule.

One such instance is this five-day BTS concert trip itinerary of I Visit Korea, which blends live music with curated cultural experiences across Seoul. Apart from including Gwanghwamun concert day, the itinerary includes stops at HYBE headquarters, museums linked to BTS member RM’s art interests, Gyeongbokgung Palace, filming locations from the group’s variety show RUN BTS, with dinner curated to mirror the group’s on-screen experiences. The itinerary also features evening visits to the Han River and concludes in Seongsu with cafes and eateries closely associated with BTS, including Cafe Far Ben and Geujip.

Seoul Braces for Mass Turnout at BTS’ Free Comeback Show

With the Gwanghwamun Square event, BTS will debut their new album Arirang. According to reports, attendance at the main square will be limited to approximately 18,000 to 20,000 fans chosen through a Weverse raffle and pre-registration, though authorities anticipate a far larger number. To handle crowd overflow while also offering non-ticket holders a fair chance to see their idols, large outdoor screens will broadcast the event at surrounding locations such as the Koreana Hotel and KT Gwanghwamun Building West, with scheduled fan gatherings at Seoul Plaza and Yeouido parks. Notably, as per Korea JoongAng Daily, street performances are also going to take place at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul and Han River parks throughout the city, along with an ARMY-themed event set to be held aboard Hangang Bus ferries.

As a part of the safety measures, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will post security personnel in Gwanghwamun Square and surrounding locations to manage these crowds, while the Seoul Disaster and Safety Situation Room will track its density using real-time data and CCTV. Fire and medical personnel will be on standby, while traffic will be handled with restricted road closures, public transportation modifications (like bus rerouting, probable subway station bypasses), along with on-site multilingual safety alerts on display.

BTS World Tour Spurs Travel Demand and Economic Activity

Travel demand surged following the BTS world tour announcement with the Gwanghwamun Square free concert. Within 48 hours, inbound searches for Seoul rose over 155%, while searches for Busan climbed as much as 2,375%, noted Hotels.com data. A domestic travel app, Yeogi Otte, also reported hotel bookings in the Jung district and its neighbouring Jongno district, which hosts the Gwanghwamun area in central Seoul, increased 450% year-on-year for the concert weekend. 

Nevertheless, the city authorities are carrying out joint inspections along with district offices to prevent price gouging at hotels and conventional markets, 22 of which have already been inspected. Reportedly, authorities are further planning undercover checks in tourist hotspots, where penalties will be imposed if entities are found to be noncompliant. Price gouging complaints can be directed to the 02-120 hotline in Korea or the 1330 hotline for overseas tourists.

The Korea Culture & Tourism Institute estimates that a single BTS concert can create up to 1.22 trillion won (~ $841M) in economic activity. According to Hyundai Research Institute, broader BTS-related consumption might reach 5.6 trillion won (~ $3.86B) per year, while securities firms predict that HYBE's revenue will increase by more than 40% by the end of 2026. Additionally, academics and the market further believe that "BTS Nomics" will promote domestic consumption while enhancing the tourism balance, estimated to potentially lift South Korea's GDP growth rate by up to 0.5%-age points in 2026.

Concert-Centered Trips Redefine K-pop Travel Demand

Experts describe these characteristics as typical of "tour tourism," in which fans plan entire holidays around concerts and related cultural activities, noting that K-pop performances are becoming a main motivator for travel selections. As per a separate travel trend survey presented by Hotels.com, approximately 70% of global respondents are now more likely to travel for significant live events, with 43% preferring to cross borders for artists they love.

As a result, tour operators in countries such as South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Brazil, and the United States are developing K-pop-focused itineraries, as many other K-pop groups are also set to return this year. Simultaneously, Singapore and Thailand are also promoting K-pop-related tourism to increase their national revenue. Taken together, such patterns correlate growing tourism opportunities with fandom-driven demand, emphasizing BTS' importance in maintaining South Korea's inbound tourist boom through early 2026.