BTS comeback drives record 2.06 million tourists to South Korea

Record-Breaking Tourism Figures

South Korea's tourism industry saw a historic surge in March, with the country welcoming a record 2.06 million foreign visitors, according to government data reported by the South China Morning Post and Yonhap News Agency. This figure marked a 26.7% increase from the same month last year and a 33.2% rise compared with March 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global travel.

For the first quarter of the year, 4.76 million foreign tourists entered the country, up 23% from the same period in 2025, setting a new record for a first quarter. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism attributed the growth to the "worldwide popularity of Korean culture," as reported by the South China Morning Post.

Chinese and Japanese Visitors Lead

Chinese tourists constituted the largest share of arrivals, with approximately 1.45 million visitors in the first quarter, a 29% increase from a year earlier. Japan followed with 940,000 visitors, up 20.2%. In March alone, Chinese arrivals numbered 501,000, while Japanese visitors totaled 482,000, according to Yonhap.

Arrivals from China and Japan grew by 2.8% and 8.4%, respectively, compared with March 2019. Visitors from Taiwan surged 95%, while those from the United States rose 80.9% and arrivals from Vietnam climbed 59.3%, as reported by Yonhap.

BTS Comeback Spurs Fan Travel

The resurgence in tourism was partly driven by fans attending the comeback concert of K-pop supergroup BTS in Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square on March 21, the group's first performance in nearly four years due to members' mandatory military service. The event drew more than 100,000 fans, according to organizers.

A government analysis, reported by Yonhap, found that foreign visitors attending the March 21 concert stayed an average of 8.7 days and spent approximately 3.53 million won ($2,377). This compares with an average stay of 6.1 days and spending of 2.45 million won for general inbound tourists in the first quarter. Attendees at BTS's three-night concerts in Goyang, northwest of Seoul, stayed an average of 7.4 days and spent 2.91 million won.

Regional Tourism Boost

The concerts also had a notable impact on regional tourism. Foreign arrivals through regional airports jumped 49.7%, and the share of travelers visiting areas outside Seoul and its vicinity rose to 34.5% from 31.3% a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as reported by the South China Morning Post. During the concert period in Goyang, foreign visitor numbers increased 35-fold and spending rose 38-fold compared with a year earlier, based on mobile and card transaction data cited by Yonhap.

Government Strategy and Outlook

The government is seeking to leverage the global popularity of Korean pop culture — including K-pop music, dramas, films, and games — to promote tourism beyond Seoul into regional areas. "We've confirmed that large-scale 'hallyu' performances have a clear effect in attracting visitors to regions," said Kang Jung-won, a tourism policy official at the ministry, as quoted by Yonhap. The ministry plans to hold a two-week welcome event in June tied to BTS concerts in Busan, according to Yonhap.

Tourist spending with foreign cards totaled 3.21 trillion won (US$2.18 billion) in the first quarter, up 23% from a year earlier. Travel satisfaction rose to 90.8 points, up from 89.7 a year ago, in a poll cited by Yonhap. Authorities are monitoring risks linked to rising airfare and geopolitical tensions that could affect outbound travel demand, said Kang Jeong-won, director general of the ministry's tourism policy office, as reported by Yonhap.