More than 2 million people traveled to South Korea last month, as tourism was lifted by the comeback tour of K-pop band BTS after a yearslong hiatus.
Travelers were drawn by the “worldwide popularity of (Korean) culture,” the tourism ministry said. It’s not just K-pop attracting fans: Viral TV shows such as Squid Game as well as films are adding to the hype. The figures underscore the capacity of some of the world’s biggest musical acts to sway the GDP of cities or entire nations.
Taylor Swift’s Eras tour was credited with boosting economic growth around concert sites, and added more than $4 billion to US’ economic growth.