Korea Tourism Organization Announces Second Recruitment for Companies Participating in the '2021 Travel Industry Digital Transformation Support Project'

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] The Korea Tourism Organization is conducting the second recruitment of participating companies for the ‘2021 Travel Industry Digital Transformation Support Project’ from the 10th to the 24th of this month.

This project is being implemented for the first time this year to help travel agencies overcome the crisis caused by COVID-19 and respond to future environmental changes. It supports funding, consulting, and capacity-building education to carry out digital transformation tasks such as discovering new revenue models, producing and promoting digital content, and introducing digital infrastructure. Eligible applicants are travel agencies registered under the Tourism Promotion Act (general travel agencies, domestic travel agencies, international travel agencies) and small and medium-sized enterprises under the Framework Act on Small and Medium Enterprises that have been in business for more than one year. In the first recruitment held in July, a total of 91 participating travel agencies were selected. In this second recruitment, which runs until the 24th, about 129 participating companies will be selected.

Currently, companies selected in the first recruitment are strengthening their corporate capabilities by applying digital trends such as integrating ICT technology and building apps and mobile platforms for product sales through this support program. They are also preparing services tailored to the changed travel culture since COVID-19 by developing virtual travel products and subscription-based travel services.

The support types are divided into two categories: experiential and leading. The experiential type targets companies that do not have digital infrastructure or lack experience, providing them with the opportunity to discover and carry out digital transformation tasks over four months (October 2021 to January 2022). The leading type supports companies that already have digital infrastructure and experience to carry out beneficiary-centered customized projects over five months (October 2021 to February 2022). Participating companies will be selected through document screening (both experiential and leading) and presentation evaluation (leading only) based on project suitability, implementation capability and potential, and expected effects, selecting 111 experiential and 18 leading companies.

Support for selected companies will be provided not in cash but in the form of professional services such as building digital customer management systems, developing digital products and content, online marketing, and introducing digital infrastructure. Additionally, basic education to help travel agencies and workers understand the fundamentals of the digital field, as well as customized advanced education for utilizing and activating completed projects and creating linked businesses, will be supported. The maximum support amount is approximately 20 million KRW for the experiential type and 35 million KRW for the leading type. After completing the tasks, additional incentives will be provided to outstanding companies based on performance evaluations.

Meanwhile, applications are also being accepted from institutions and organizations that possess digital technologies applicable to the travel industry and wish to participate as service providers in this project. The deadline is the 15th of this month.

Detailed information about the Digital Transformation Support Project can be found in the ‘Announcements & Public Offers’ section on the organization’s website.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.