BTS ‘Arirang in Busan’: How the City is Transforming into a K-Content Tourism Hub

Translation result.Busan plans to convert the entire city into a large-scale K-content tourism platform tied to BTS’s “Arirang IN Busan” world tour, using the group’s June 12–13 performances to drive a citywide festival strategy that extends well beyond the concert venues. City officials say they will mobilize airports, rail, tourism services, dining and nighttime programming to reinforce Busan’s image as a global destination that encourages longer stays.The initiative focuses on four strategic pillars: hospitality, immersive experiences, culinary offerings and lasting impressions. Officials intend for international fans and visitors to begin experiencing Busan the moment they arrive and to continue engaging with the city after the performances.To that end, the city will concentrate large-scale welcome programs at major gateways such as Gimhae Airport and Busan Station. Gimhae will feature a welcome photo zone and a “welcome week” of events for foreign visitors. At Busan Station’s Eurasia Platform, the city will open a welcome center combining tourist information, luggage storage and K-pop experience programming. Busan Station Plaza will host pop-up stores with participation from local companies and city departments, linking concert-related demand to local retail through product sales and interactive programming.Major landmarks—including Gwangandaegyo Bridge, Nurimaru APEC House and Busan Tower—will be lit with special lighting displays to give the city a festival atmosphere. The city will also significantly expand immersive experiences. On the nights of June 12 and 13, a 1,000-drone light show will illuminate Gwangalli Beach, synchronized with the bridge lighting for a large-scale welcome tied to BTS’s comeback. At Song Sang-hyeon Square, officials will present “The Red Moment Busan,” a fan-focused program using the color palette from BTS’s Arirang album that combines live music, photo zones and interactive booths.To broaden visitor circulation across the city, Busan will operate BTS-wrapped city tour buses. The city plans to connect concert-driven demand with local businesses as well: at Busan Port Pier 1, organizers will stage “Port Village Busan 2026,” featuring a gourmet lounge and lifestyle market with 50 local food-and-beverage (F&B) teams. The program will include a “Gourmet Selection” promotion with noted local restaurants and a night market.To encourage longer stays, Busan will offer themed tourism routes—local tours of the northern and western districts, an art tour in Haeundae and a healing course in the Geumjeong area—designed to draw fans to neighborhoods beyond the concert venues.City officials expect the project to do more than support a single event: they see it as an opportunity to strengthen Busan’s global tourism brand. Planners describe it as an experiment in a higher-value tourism model that leverages K-pop fandom to link lodging, dining, shopping and nightlife.Acting Mayor Kim Kyung-deok said, “This concert gives Busan the chance to demonstrate our safety-management capabilities and showcase our city brand to the world. We will create top-tier tourism conditions so visitors remember Busan as a global city they want to return to.”