BTS concert in Busan lifts small-business sales 3.6%

BTS's Busan concert contributed to higher sales in the city's neighborhood commercial districts, with fans from South Korea and abroad driving spending well above the national average.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said Wednesday that small-business sales in Busan rose 3.6 percent year-on-year during the four weeks surrounding the BTS world tour "Arirang" concerts held in Busan on June 12 and 13 — covering May 30 to June 27. That figure far outpaced the national average of 0.4 percent and Seoul's 0.3 percent over the same period.

Sales on the concert days themselves surged 11.1 percent year-on-year. Spending also picked up in the two weeks before the shows — up 4.4 percent two weeks out and 3.3 percent one week out — pointing to a clear tourist-influx effect ahead of the performances. The momentum carried over afterward, with sales up 3.4 percent one week later and 1.0 percent two weeks later.

By district, Yeongdo — popular for its mural village and distinctive cafes — posted the steepest gain at 13.7 percent. Gukje Market (11.0 percent), Seomyeon (8.7 percent), Haeundae (5.0 percent) and the area around Busan Station (4.2 percent) also outperformed the city average, driving local consumption.

By sector, convenience stores — a frequent stop for tourists — recorded the highest growth at 6.5 percent, followed by hair and beauty salons at 6.2 percent and restaurants at 3.6 percent.

The global fandom effect was equally striking. Foreign-customer sales in Busan jumped 71.7 percent year-on-year during the concert period. Accommodation led all sectors with a 148.1 percent surge, followed by restaurants (72.3 percent), convenience stores (71.0 percent) and hair and beauty salons (63.8 percent). By district, Yeongdo saw foreign sales soar 259.1 percent and Gwangalli 101.3 percent — both more than doubling — underscoring the concert's pull as a tourism draw.

The findings suggest K-pop concerts have evolved beyond cultural events into tourism content that drives local spending. Local governments have been competing to attract large-scale concerts and festivals precisely because of the "stay-and-spend" tourism effect, which spreads consumption across accommodation, dining and shopping. The results offer evidence that policies linking performances with tourism can translate into real gains for local economies.

"This analysis is a data-backed demonstration of the economic ripple effect that cultural content such as large-scale K-pop concerts can have on small businesses and neighborhood commercial districts," said Lee Byeong-gwon, second vice minister of SMEs and Startups. "We will continue to refine our data-driven small-business support policies by integrating public and private data."