The complete comeback concert of BTS will be held in Seoul and Busan. As a result, the two cities are attracting global attention. With a surge in travel searches, the government and local governments are preparing promotional plans to utilize traditional markets as regional tourism hubs.

According to the global accommodation platform Hotels.com, within 48 hours of the announcement of BTS's tour plan, travel searches from overseas to Seoul increased by 155% compared to the previous week. In Busan, the search volume surged by 2375%. Travel searches to Busan from major Asian regions such as Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan skyrocketed. Domestic travel searches for Seoul (190%) and Busan (3855%) also increased significantly.

The government and local governments are preparing to welcome a sharp increase in foreign tourists visiting the country before and after the performance. Measures are being developed to revitalize domestic consumption, including traditional markets. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon held a meeting to review issues related to the BTS comeback project and comprehensively checked crowd safety management plans, transportation, accommodation, and commercial district response measures.

Seoul expects up to 200,000 tourists to flock to the city center ahead of the BTS concert to be held at Gwanghwamun on March 21. "BTS Comeback Live: Arirang" will be held free of charge around Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul at 8 p.m. on that day. This performance provides citizens with an opportunity to experience music and culture in their daily lives. It will be exclusively live-streamed in collaboration with Netflix to over 190 countries and regions. This is the first case of Netflix live-streaming a single artist's concert.

Before the performance, Seoul plans to inspect whether lodging establishments post their price lists and check for excessive charges. Mystery shoppers will be deployed to traditional markets and attractions frequently visited by foreign tourists to crack down on overcharging. Mayor Oh Se-hoon presided over a meeting on issues related to the BTS comeback concert and discussed comprehensive response plans.

To prepare for congestion in the city center, a disaster safety situation room and CCTV will operate a system to manage crowd density in real time. Cultural and experiential programs linked to the event and nearby traditional markets will be expanded, and unfair practices in traditional markets will be monitored to ensure that foreign tourists visiting Korea for the BTS concert are drawn into traditional markets and other grassroots economic sites.

Lee Byung-kwon, Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, visited Bujeon Market Town in Busan, where the BTS concert is scheduled for June, to check measures for revitalizing traditional markets and eradicating overcharging. Various measures are being prepared to ensure that BTS's concert leads to the growth of traditional markets. An increase in foreign tourists and concert attendees visiting Busan is expected due to the concert, and in cooperation with Busan City and related organizations, promotional plans for traditional markets and shopping districts as well as visitor response plans will be developed to enable traditional markets to function as regional tourism hubs.

The Vice Minister said, "Large-scale K-culture events have the power to move the entire city's economy. If performances, film festivals, tourism, traditional markets, and commercial districts are organically connected, the region itself becomes a global stage. We will create a structure where K-pop concerts, local festivals, and commercial consumption proceed simultaneously."