Singapore bets on K-pop’s soft power for long-term tourism and branding gains
Upcoming BTS concerts expected to lift tourism, though economic impact may be shy of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour effect
Add BT as a preferred source
[SINGAPORE] Exclusive concert deals, destination partnerships and a K-pop training academy – Singapore is betting big on South Korean pop culture as part of a longer-term push to boost tourism and reinforce its position as a regional entertainment hub.
Rather than view K-pop as a direct tourism revenue stream, the city-state is leveraging the Korean Wave to strengthen its experience economy and brand appeal, while benefiting from downstream tourism spending, observers said.
K-pop reinforces Singapore’s stance as a vibrant lifestyle and entertainment hub, said Wong King Yin, a senior marketing lecturer at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
TRENDING NOW
On the board but frozen out: The Taib family feud tearing Sarawak construction giant apart
Thai and Vietnamese farmers may stop planting rice because of the Iran war. Here’s why
MAS convenes bank CEOs over AI cyberthreats; boards told to own risks, not leave to IT teams
Is it time to scrap COE categories for cars?
