WAUG (CEO Seonwoo Yoon) announced that it has attracted strategic investment from domestic travel agency Hana Tour.
This investment goes beyond simple financial support and represents a strategic collaboration between influential travel agencies and travel tech companies to expand the global free-income travel (FIT) market.
With this investment, Wag plans to expand its service offerings. By linking Hana Tour's flight and accommodation inventory with its current strengths in activity products in approximately 230 cities worldwide, the company plans to establish a comprehensive travel service system.
Through this, Wag aims to expand its service beyond its existing activity-focused booking service into a global all-in-one travel platform offering seamless access to flight bookings, accommodations, and local experiences. Furthermore, by combining HanaTour's supply chain with Wag's user interface and user experience (UI/UX), the company plans to provide independent travelers with a convenient booking environment and competitively priced products.
Technology-based service advancements are also being pursued. Wag plans to strengthen its AI-based demand analysis and recommendation capabilities to offer personalized travel recommendation services that reflect users' preferences and travel patterns. Simultaneously, it plans to expand its global user base by leveraging multilingual support and local currency payment systems.
Expanding the inbound tourism market, particularly targeting foreign tourists, is a key strategy. Wag plans to launch Hop&Hop, a dedicated inbound platform, in partnership with Hana Tour and Web Tour. Combining Hana Tour ITC's product planning capabilities, the company will provide travel content tailored to inbound tourists. Through this, the company aims to strengthen its competitiveness in the domestic inbound tourism market.
As the first step in their collaboration, the two companies will launch a week-long joint promotion starting March 9th. Key tourist attractions, including the Fukuoka Tower Observatory, Da Nang The Spa, and Hong Kong Big Bus City Tours, will be offered at discounts of up to 50%. They also plan to expand joint online and offline marketing activities in the future.
"It is very meaningful to have secured strategic investment from Hana Tour, a leading player in the domestic travel industry," said Wag Vice President Jeong Hye-mi. "We plan to provide travelers with a more convenient and differentiated travel experience based on AI technology." She added, "By combining Hana Tour's supply capabilities with Wag's platform technology, we will grow into a competitive service for global independent travelers."
The travel industry is seeing a growing trend of collaboration between digital technology-based travel tech companies and traditional travel agencies. In particular, with the rise in demand for independent travel and the proliferation of online booking services, competition among platforms offering integrated flights, accommodations, and activities is intensifying in the global market.
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