Korea Startup Forum (Chairman Sangwoo Han, hereinafter referred to as KOSPO) announced on the 14th that it held a ‘Seminar for Global Expansion and Growth of Tourism Startups’ at Gwanghwamun, Seoul on the 13th.
This seminar was held under the theme of 'ROAD TO GLOBAL', and the purpose of the presentation was to provide global expansion strategies for domestic travel, tourism, and leisure startups, and to discuss policy suggestions necessary for the overall growth of the tourism startup industry. The presentations on the topic that day were moderated by Professor Lim Hyeong-taek of the Department of Global Tourism at Sunmoon University, and Dean Lee Hoon of Hanyang University's Graduate School of International Tourism and Co-CEO of the National Assembly Tourism Industry Forum.
From the startup industry, attendees included Koo Tae-eon, Vice Chairman of the Korea Startup Forum; ▲Yoon Seok-ho, CEO of Date Trip (domestic local space curation service); ▲Kwon Yong-geun, CEO of R&One (Fair Play) (domestic cultural community service platform); ▲Seok Yeong-gyu, CEO of All My Tour (accommodation reservation platform for domestic and international travelers); and ▲Bae In-ho, CEO of Travelution (ticket and tour reservation platform for inbound travelers). In his opening remarks that day, Koo Tae-eon, Vice Chairman of KOSPO, opened the discussion by saying, “In order to make a leap forward as a truly advanced tourism country with the arrival of 16 million foreign tourists, we need to support startups such as ‘tourism tech’ and their global expansion.”
Professor Lim Hyung-taek presented on the topic of ‘Global Expansion and Growth Strategies for Tourism Startups’ and emphasized the role of startups in the tourism industry environment where digital transformation and globalization are accelerating. He suggested the following as key strategies for global expansion: ▲Optimization of exposure on digital platforms such as SNS and OTA ▲UX design based on multilingual support ▲Localization of content tailored to travelers ▲Technical differentiation based on AI and VR ▲Response to ESG tourism trends ▲Securing distribution networks through international exhibitions and international organization connections. He also shared success models through domestic and international cases that have entered the global market, such as My Real Trip and Klook, while introducing cases of tourism startups that are promoting overseas expansion or supporting services, such as Localer, Moon Academy, For Parents, and Nomad Hull. Professor Lim Hyung-taek said, “Policy agencies should further expand the foundation for global expansion of tourism startups, commercialization of R&D, and support for operating platforms such as maps and reservations for global users, and companies should coexist with startups through open innovation.”
In the comprehensive discussion that followed, ‘Panel Discussion and Policy Suggestions for Tourism Industry Development’, moderated by Director Lee Hoon, in-depth discussions were held on ▲global expansion strategies for tourism startups ▲digital transformation and data utilization ▲improvement of infrastructure based on global standards ▲creation of venture investment environment ▲regulatory innovation and strengthening of ecosystem, etc.
Representatives who participated in the panel voiced that, as the tourism industry is rapidly transforming into a digital and data-centric industry, global standardization of core infrastructure and regulatory innovation are urgently needed for domestic tourism startups to secure global competitiveness. In particular, they mentioned that essential infrastructure such as maps and payments are not compatible with global services, and that some companies are having difficulties in operating services due to limitations in using Google map data. In addition, they agreed that it is important to create a new market and customer access environment by expanding venture investment and reorganizing old regulations to strengthen the self-sufficiency of the startup ecosystem.
At the end of the discussion, Director Lee Hoon, who served as the moderator, said, “In order for tourism startups to make a leap forward in the global market by utilizing technology and data, the government’s regulatory innovation and consistent mid- to long-term policy vision must go hand in hand so that private innovation capabilities can be fully utilized.”
Koo Tae-eon, Vice Chairman of Kospo, said, “Today’s seminar showed both the reality and growth potential that tourism startups face,” and added, “We will continue to reflect the voices of various industries in policies and strive to provide policy suggestions so that startups can be competitive in the global market.”
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