K-pop supergroup BTS set to trigger US economic boom with tour: ‘Every stop is going to see a boost’

As the band prepares to tour, economists say pent-up global demand could reshape how concerts boost city economies

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ove over, Taylor Swift. Her Eras tour was the highest grossing in history, sparking an estimated $5bn in direct consumer spending across the US. But now another musical phenomenon is preparing to sweep through North America – and economists expect it will generate tens of billions of dollars in economic activity along the way.

K-pop sensation BTS will embark this year on their largest tour yet, spanning 34 regions across five continents, ending a hiatus due to mandatory military service that lasted almost four years.

“The BTS tour will be the event of the year,” Timothy Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University, said. “Every stop is going to see a boost in tourism, hotel occupancy, and economic activity to an extraordinary degree that might be even bigger than Taylor Swift.”