Oct. 9 (UPI) — BTS leader RM has urged fans to stop gathering outside the group’s hotel in Peru, saying the noise has prevented the South Korean pop stars from getting enough sleep, as their concerts draw tens of thousands of visitors to Lima.
The singer made the appeal through the fan platform Weverse after crowds gathered outside the hotel where the seven-member group was staying during the Peruvian leg of its ARIRANG world tour.
“We’re not sleeping well,” RM wrote on Wednesday, asking fans to respect the group’s privacy and allow its members to rest between performances.
His message also addressed fans in other Latin American countries scheduled to host the group, including Chile, Argentina and Brazil, where similar gatherings could take place during upcoming concerts.
BTS Perú Fanclub, which describes itself as the country’s first BTS fan community, established in 2013, also discouraged the gatherings outside the hotel, saying they had continued since the group’s arrival in Peru.
In a statement Thursday, the fan organization said it had organized a 10-minute drone show along Lima’s Costa Verde waterfront from 8 p.m. to 8:10 p.m. as a tribute to the group. It stressed that the event took place away from the hotel and that it had never encouraged fans to gather outside the building.
The organization said the behavior of individuals, including people it described as being outside the fan community, should not overshadow months of volunteer work on projects designed to welcome BTS to Peru. It also urged fans, media outlets and content creators to respect the group’s privacy and stop promoting livestreams from the hotel.
The appeal came amid a series of controversies surrounding BTS’s three performances at Lima’s San Marcos Stadium, held Wednesday and scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
Fans who attended the first concert Wednesday reported that people were charging as much as 300 soles, approximately $87, to reserve places in lines outside the stadium, according to Peruvian newspaper El Comercio.
The reported practice prompted complaints and confrontations among concertgoers waiting to enter the venue.
Peru’s consumer protection agency, Indecopi, also began to investigate complaints involving the sale of official BTS light sticks, known as ARMY Bombs, after more than 800 fans reported alleged irregularities involving sale of merchandise, according to RPP.
The controversies have emerged alongside a significant tourism boost associated with the group’s visit.
Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism estimated that the three concerts would attract more than 50,000 tourists and day visitors to Lima and generate approximately $18.7 million in tourism spending.
The performances were expected to draw a combined audience of approximately 150,000, although that figure represents concert attendance rather than the number of individual tourists.
More than 36,500 visitors were expected to spend at least one night in the capital, while another 14,000 were projected to visit without staying overnight.
Of the estimated tourism spending, $8.1 million was expected to come from international visitors, $9.9 million from domestic tourists and approximately $760,000 from domestic day trips.
The ministry said 5.74% of ticket buyers live outside Peru, with Ecuador accounting for 27.9% of international purchases, followed by Mexico at 12.2%, Bolivia at 10.6%, the United States at 9.1% and Chile at 6.8%.
Peru’s tourism promotion agency, Promperú, previously reported that more than 521,000 users joined virtual queues to purchase tickets, reflecting demand that substantially exceeded the available capacity.
Peruvian authorities have promoted the group’s visit as an opportunity to attract international travelers and showcase Lima’s hotels, restaurants and cultural attractions.
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