BTS was named Huésped de Honor, or guests of honor, of Colombia's Bogotá ahead of the K-pop megaband's world tour in the city, its agency BigHit Music said Friday.
Bogotá made the designation on Wednesday, which marked the first time in 10 years that the honor was bestowed, according to local media outlet El Universal.
Huésped de Honor is given by the mayor of Bogotá to distinguished visitors who contribute to the welfare of residents or the city's development in fields including politics, public service, arts, sports, science and education.
The honor comes as BTS is set to kick off the Latin American leg of the "Arirang" world tour in Bogotá with a two-day show on Friday and Saturday. This is the first time BTS will be performing as a group in Colombia. The world tour will then head to Lima, Peru; Santiago, Chile; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and São Paulo, Brazil.
The Bogotá city hall and Colpatria Tower will be illuminated in purple, the band's signature color, to celebrate the concert.
Bogotá said BTS is expected to help promote the city as a hub for cultural and creative industries and as a destination for major events.
A BTS fan poses with merchandise after visiting the band's pop-up in Bogotá, Colombia, on Oct. 1.
Concertgoers are expected to spend over 99 billion Colombian pesos ($29.7 million) on food and beverages, accommodation, transportation and shopping, according to the city's Tourism Observatory.
Flight bookings to the city between Sept. 30 and Oct. 4 rose 46.6 percent compared to the same period a year earlier, with domestic flights rising 59.3 percent and international flights 39.5 percent.
Many concertgoers are expected to come from neighboring countries, with 18.4 percent of the Bogotá shows purchased from countries other than Colombia. The figure is around two times that of international buyers typically seen for other concerts, according to the agency.
