Busan K-Pop Concerts Driving 4-Fold Growth in Foreign Tourists’ Local Spending

K-Pop concerts held in Busan are significantly boosting local spending by foreign tourists. Data has emerged showing that K-Pop content functions as a powerful force that impacts the entire regional economy, extending beyond mere performances to include tourism, accommodation, and shopping.

The travel and ticket platform NOL World, which serves foreign tourists, reported that the number of purchases for local tourism products in Busan in June increased by 4 times compared to the previous month. During the same period, the average number of products purchased per foreign customer visiting Busan was 2.6 items. The rate at which concert ticket buyers also purchased local tours or activity packages was twice the average among all ticket buyers. This indicates that tourists who come to Korea to attend concerts immediately engage in local stays and spending.

The product most frequently purchased additionally by foreigners visiting Busan was shuttle services connecting venues in Seoul and Busan. In addition, high-magnification camera smartphone rentals for close-up concert photography and fan-customized day tour packages were also popular. Notably, the number of purchases for Busan Blue Line beach train tickets rose by 135% compared to the previous month, supporting the trend of combining concerts with travel.

This success was made possible through collaboration with the Busan Tourism Organization. To improve the convenience of global K-Pop fans visiting Busan, NOL World first launched products integrated with public accommodation facilities, which were quickly sold out upon release, receiving strong feedback. Since April, the company has been working together with the Busan Tourism Organization to run a Busan-focused travel campaign featuring various attractions and discount benefits for global tourists. The cumulative number of visitors to this campaign’s page has exceeded 100,000.

The industry widely views this case as a sign that K-content tourism is moving beyond one-off events to establish itself as a structural part of local spending patterns.