BTS 'The City' Effect: 'City Tour Bus' Ridership Up 20% Compared to Normal Levels

*This content was translated by AI.

BTS's 'BTS THE CITY ARIRANG SEOUL' (BTS The City Arirang Seoul, hereinafter 'The City Seoul') has successfully concluded its month-long journey.

'The City Seoul' was launched to commemorate the release of BTS's fifth full album 'Arirang' (ARIRANG) and the start of the 'BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG''. The project projected messages from the new album onto major landmarks across Seoul, transforming the entire city into a grand festival venue. Familiar spaces were reborn through BTS's stories, becoming a welcome gift for citizens.

Notably, foreign tourists accounted for an overwhelming majority of visitors to key sites in Seoul. Over the course of about a month, various locations in Seoul buzzed with visitors from around the world eager to experience 'The City Seoul'. At the media facade event held at Sungnyemun Gate, Korea's No. 1 National Treasure, approximately 73% of all attendees were foreigners, demonstrating BTS's global influence in drawing international tourists to Korea's historic sites. At 'ARMY MADANG', set up at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), the proportion of foreign visitors exceeded 86%. 'ARMY MADANG' is a participatory experience space that reinterprets the traditional Korean concept of 'madang' (a communal courtyard) in a modern way, allowing visitors to gather and enjoy themselves together. A variety of programs were prepared, including designing support tools and collecting balls with lyrics written on them to complete a large-scale logo display.

This enthusiasm translated into tangible tourism activation. During the project period, 'Seoul City Tour Bus with BTS THE CITY', wrapped in the new album's colors and the 'Arirang' logo, cruised through various parts of the city. The bus operated on a customized route circulating through key locations bearing BTS's legacy—such as Gwanghwamun, Namdaemun Market, Yongsan HYBE Building, Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), and Gyeongbokgung Palace—as well as Seoul's representative landmarks.

According to Seoul City Tour Tiger Bus, ridership on the tour bus increased by approximately 20% compared to normal levels. Tiger Bus stated, "BTS's global influence and the power of its music content merged with Seoul tourism, leading to a differentiated customer experience." It further added, "This is also evaluated as creating a positive synergy with Seoul's policy direction to activate tourism. Tourists expressed great satisfaction simply by taking commemorative photos in front of vehicles featuring the new album logo, keeping specially designed tickets as souvenirs, and experiencing Seoul while listening to the group's representative songs on the bus."

'The City Seoul' kicked off on the 20th of last month with a large outdoor digital billboard and a drone light show. Media facades unfolded at locations such as Sungnyemun Gate and Namsan Seoul Tower, adding vibrant colors to Seoul's night view. On the same day, thousands of drones performed a light show at Ttukseom Han River Park, while music light shows infused with the new album's sensibility were held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) and Banpo Bridge's Moonlight Rainbow Fountain.

Experiential content that citizens could directly see and feel also gained popularity. At 'Love Song Lounge', set up in the event plaza of Yeouido Han River Park, busking and photo zones were operated under the theme of the new album campaign slogan, 'WHAT IS YOUR LOVE SONG', creating a resting space. 'Love Quarter', installed in the courtyard of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, realized a sea of waves created by Tesla coils with the lyrics of the title track 'SWIM', offering visitors a unique experience of seemingly swimming within the space. At Yongsan Station, the entire staircase transformed into a blue swimming pool, and the core message of the song, 'KEEP SWIMMING', was displayed as typography around Cheonggyecheon, completing a fantastical waterside landscape. In addition, through a broad partnership covering after-parties, mobility, accommodation, and food and beverage, the project enabled people to feel BTS's new album anywhere in Seoul.

'The City Seoul', which allowed people around the world to enjoy Seoul's cultural assets, is now embarking on a full-scale global expansion. The project is scheduled to move to Las Vegas, USA, in May and then to Busan in June, aiming to offer an even more expanded experience to music fans both domestically and internationally who have been waiting for BTS.

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*This content was translated by AI.