Seoul, ranked first as a 'city good for solo travel', is recruiting tourism start-ups that will lead innovation in tourism convenience in Seoul from the 4th to the 21st to proactively respond to the individual travel needs of foreign tourists.
Since 2016, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Tourism Foundation have been operating the 'Seoul Tourism Startup Cooperation Project' to support companies with innovative tourism services such as ▲airline and hotel reservation services ▲AI translation ▲mobile electronic passports, thereby creating a Seoul tourism environment that is 'convenient for solo travelers.'
The 'Seoul Tourism Startup Cooperation Project' has discovered and fostered a total of 96 tourism startups to date, and 85 of them are currently operating with continuous results such as signing new domestic and international contracts and attracting investment.
Any company with a new tourism service (product) that will create the next-generation Seoul tourism environment can participate in the contest regardless of industry. The city plans to select a total of five tourism start-ups (startups) this year and provide a total of 200 million won in business support funds (70 million won to 30 million won) in order of evaluation.
However, only individuals or corporate business owners who have been in business for at least 6 months and within 7 years as of the announcement deadline (3.21) can participate. The evaluation will be conducted in three stages: document review, interview, and on-site open audition. Each evaluation will be comprehensively evaluated by a panel of judges consisting of investment agencies, startup planners, tourism academics, and industry experts, taking into consideration ▲necessity ▲feasibility ▲performance ability and sustainability ▲contribution to Seoul tourism, etc.
In addition to the grant, companies selected through the contest will receive a wide range of support, including ▲1:1 training from startup planners ▲participation in major city/foundation events ▲use of Seoul Tourism Plaza facilities ▲support for entering overseas markets ▲promotion of Seoul Tourism’s website ‘Visit Seoul’, giving them the opportunity to develop into companies with global capabilities.
- Professional Startup Planner (Accelerator) Training: 1:1 customized consulting is provided on domestic and international market entry, investment linkage, etc. based on in-depth analysis of each stage of corporate growth.
- Participation in major city/foundation events: You can participate in major events such as Seoul International Travel Mart, beauty/food/Korean Wave/medical tourism events, and receive opportunities for corporate promotion and networking.
- Use of Seoul Tourism Plaza facilities: Companies selected through a contest will be given extra points when evaluating whether to move into Seoul Tourism Plaza, and will also be provided with benefits such as participation in networking events for companies moving into the plaza, free use of shared conference rooms, and discounts on rental of facilities.
- Support for entering overseas markets: To secure overseas competitiveness and open up sales channels, ▲newsletter promotion targeting major overseas travel agencies ▲participation in a preliminary inspection tour (FAM Tour) ▲writing of an English company profile (IR) and investment training (Pitching) are provided.
- Visit Seoul Linked Promotion: As a partner of ‘Visit Seoul,’ the official tourism website of Seoul, your company’s main services will be introduced in multiple languages, and you can receive support for corporate promotion linked to social media (SNS) channels and major online and offline events of Seoul.
In addition, tourism start-up companies can receive follow-up support for stable growth even after the project ends. Companies with a history of being selected in a contest can participate in a separate internal contest to receive support for service improvement or promotional marketing, and can receive priority participation opportunities in programs linked to Seoul City and related organizations.
Companies wishing to participate in the contest can apply online through the 'Seoul in My Hand' website by 5:00 PM on the 21st. Additional detailed information can be found on the website or by contacting the Seoul Tourism Foundation Global Tourism Industry Team (☎ 02-3788-0864, 8197, 8116).
Koo Jong-won, the director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Tourism and Sports Bureau, said, “We want to foster innovative tourism startups so that foreign tourists visiting Seoul alone can overcome the language barrier and experience a convenient and enjoyable trip to Seoul, and present Seoul’s own high-quality tourism services.” He added, “We ask for the participation and interest of many tourism startups with unique services so that tourists from around the world can experience ‘a Seoul where they want to stay longer and come back again. ’”
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