Busan City and the Busan Tourism Organization said on the 18th that more than 110,000 people visited Busan as the BTS World Tour Arirang IN Busan concert, held over two days at Busan Asiad Main Stadium, served as a catalyst.
The concert was held on the 12th–13th, and the city and the organization also carried out a "citywide festival project" inspired by the event. The project took place at Love Song Lounge, Port Village, and Welcome Centers set up across Busan.
According to the city, from the 11th to the 13th, 31,263 foreign tourists entered through Gimhae International Airport. The city gave souvenirs to 8,200 of them. The Busan Station Welcome Center received 26,245 visitors.
The Love Song Lounge on Gunam-ro in Haeundae drew 100,000 visitors; Port Village Busan at Busan Port Pier 1 drew 50,000; and the drone lighting show at Gwangalli Beach drew 54,000.
The city said it established a close cooperation system with related agencies to prepare for crowds, and not a single major safety accident occurred.
Special transport measures were activated, including more than 220 additional and extended subway runs, 48 additional runs on the Busan-Gimhae Light Rail Transit, and shorter headways on city buses, while 4,790 personnel from the organizer, police, and fire authorities were deployed to manage the crowds.
The city said the influx of visitors boosted spending across the local economy. The average daily sales at souvenir shops in Busan Station, Gwangalli, and Haeundae were about 8.54 million won, up 136% from a year earlier.
The BTS-themed city tour bus carried 705 passengers, and all 2,500 copies of the Busan gourmet guidebook were distributed. A shortage of accommodations also occurred, leading the city to work with religious groups and schools to provide room and board at training centers and other facilities for 1,776 people.