BTS concert boosts foreign spending at Busan's traditional markets
Foreign tourist spending in Busan rose during the week of BTS' concert in the city, with traditional markets among the biggest beneficiaries, according to data released by BC Card Tuesday. The card company analyzed spending by about 54,700 foreign visitors who used overseas-issued payment cards at affiliated businesses in Busan during the June 7-13 concert week. BTS marked its 13th anniversary with a large-scale concert in Busan on Friday and Saturday, drawing about 55,000 fans to the stadium. City officials estimated that about 200,000 foreign visitors traveled to the city before and after the event. During the concert week, total foreign card spending in the city increased 5.7 percent from the previous week and 73.3 percent from the same period a year earlier. The number of transactions rose 38 percent from the previous week and 97.3 percent from a year earlier. Traditional markets saw particularly strong gains. Spending by foreign visitors at traditional markets nearly doubled from a week earlier, rising 99.8 percent, while the number of transactions increased 16.1 percent. These figure
