On the 13th, at a seminar titled “ROAD TO GLOBAL” held at Vertex Korea in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, Professor Hyung-Taek Lim of Sunmoon University’s Global Tourism Department emphasized the urgent need for regulatory easing, the establishment of technological infrastructure, and investment ecosystem innovation to enhance the global competitiveness of tourism startups. He highlighted that, even in an era where booking and payment should be seamless with a single app worldwide, Korean startups remain stuck in outdated paper-based application structures.
Professor Lim pointed out common issues faced by foreign tourists using Korean tourism services, such as inaccurate map information and the lack of global payment systems. He stated, “Google Maps does not provide accurate information for Korean tourist sites, and many foreigners experience payment failures due to card verification issues,” stressing that these infrastructural deficiencies can’t be resolved by startups alone and require governmental intervention.
During the panel discussion led by Professor Hoon Lee of Hanyang University, who also co-chairs the National Assembly’s Tourism Industry Forum, representatives from various tourism startups shared their challenges. Seokho Yoon, CEO of DayTrip Korea, criticized government support for being short-term and performance-measured predominantly by numerical metrics, making it difficult to establish a foundation for long-term growth.
Another major issue identified is the ‘infrastructure gap.’ Global standards like Google Maps and Stripe face frequent errors and payment failures in Korea, causing inconvenience for foreign tourists. This sentiment was echoed by Inho Bae, CEO of Travolution, who remarked, “While Korea is seen as an IT powerhouse, foreign tourists do not experience it that way.”
A third obstacle is the lack of investment. Due to the indirect revenue structures and long return periods, tourism startups are often overlooked by venture capitalists. Younggyu Seok, CEO of AllMyTour, mentioned that despite tourism being a high-value industry directly tied to the local economy, policies and funding remain superficial.
Professor Lim referenced successful international cases such as Hong Kong’s Klook and Germany’s GetYourGuide, along with Korea’s MyRealTrip and Tripadvisor, to highlight that localized content, global systems, and local partnerships form the crux of competitive advantage. He emphasized that Korean startups possess significant potential but lack the institutional environment to nurture it.
Professor Lee stressed the need for an ecosystem transformation in the tourism industry from a public-focused structure to one that accommodates private startups. He proposed that for sustainable growth, measures such as supporting commercialization of tourism R&D, establishing dedicated support centers, refining global payment regulations, and creating joint planning systems with public bodies are necessary.
Panelists collectively agreed that tourism startups require not just ‘more support’ but a fundamental overhaul of their foundational structures to ensure their basic strength is robust. “The path to going global is already open. However, to navigate it successfully, solid support through infrastructure, institutions, and investment is crucial,” they concluded.