[Report] Travel Expert's 'One Pick'... Empathy-Based 'Danang Package' Tour

Modetour Best Partner 23 People
Vietnam Danang Study Tour Companion Report

Inspection of Local Hotels, Tourist Attractions, and Exclusive Partnership Products
35th Anniversary... Expanding Number of Agencies and Product Supply

On the afternoon of the 10th of last month at Cheongju International Airport, 23 excited branch owners of Modetour Best Partner (BP) began their departure procedures. BPs are agencies operating under the Modetour brand that attract users to the company's package products at sales sites. Modetour selected 23 outstanding branch owners from among BPs active in nine regions nationwide based on product sales volume and growth potential, and conducted a study tour in Da Nang, Vietnam from the 10th to the 14th to enhance their expertise.

Domestic low-cost carrier (LCC) Aero K, headquartered in Cheongju, Chungbuk, launched a new Da Nang route departing from Cheongju International Airport last month. This was to review package tours departing from regional airports. From the perspective of so-called 'travel experts' with over 10 years of experience in the travel industry, the tour aimed to explore the potential for revitalizing Southeast Asian travel routes operated from regional airports and to experience the current status of local package products. One participant said, "I arrived at Cheongju Airport three hours before the flight, and it was less crowded than Incheon International Airport, so the check-in process did not take long. I will definitely explain to customers using package products that arriving two hours before the flight is sufficient."

Travelers are checking in for their flight from Cheongju International Airport to Da Nang, Vietnam.

From Travel Supplier to Consumer Mindset...
A Special Da Nang Trip for 23 Outstanding Modetour BPs

The first destination for the BP branch owners, who are well-versed in overseas travel, was the 5-star Alansy Hotel, located about 10 minutes by car from My Khe Beach, one of the world's six most famous beaches. Following a guide, they toured the interiors including deluxe and suite rooms, carefully inspecting room size, space between beds and aisles, bathroom size, and cleanliness. They concluded that this hotel, which offers river views, is suitable for family travelers of three to four members.

The next stop was the Muong Thanh Luxury Da Nang Hotel facing My Khe Beach. According to a Modetour official, this hotel is suitable for group tourists. The BP branch owners paid close attention to facilities such as conference rooms and restaurants that can accommodate large groups. One participant said, "As a tour leader, I have visited Da Nang several times, but I was always anxious throughout the schedule worrying about the customers. Seeing local attractions again from a traveler's perspective was refreshing and will help me explain or recommend products."

While riding the cable car to the summit of the famous tourist spot Ba Na Hills, located about 1,500 meters above sea level, which stretches 5,800 meters, participants compared it to the world's longest cable car at Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, China (7,455 meters). They noted that the Ba Na Hills cable car felt much more stable than the Tianmen Mountain cable car, which travels along cliffs.

Participants also experienced representative package tour itineraries such as visiting the pink Da Nang Cathedral and Hoi An Old Town, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, and explored detailed sightseeing points including local cuisine and shopping, creating lasting memories.

Tourists are experiencing wish boats in Hoi An Old Town, Vietnam, a city registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

Expanding BP Agencies, Strengthening Benefits... Targeting Package Tour Demand

Modetour is a travel company that established the foundation for domestic package tours. It launched in 1989, the first year of overseas travel liberalization, as Korea's first wholesale travel company. At that time, it consolidated small-scale tourism demand centered on retail stores and built a sales method in the form of agencies. It has also led efforts to reduce the harms of low-priced package products that indiscriminately force shopping or excessive optional tours. The representative example is 'Modu Signature,' which emphasizes no tips, no options, and no shopping. This product, designed to allow travelers to focus solely on the essence of travel even if they pay a bit more, accounted for 24% of all Modetour package product reservations last year and is rapidly growing. This is a 16 percentage point increase compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 outbreak. One agency owner said, "Since COVID-19, package tour demand has polarized. Alongside travelers focusing on low-priced products, the number of consumers wanting differentiated experiences even if they pay more is increasing."

Reflecting this, Modetour is strengthening benefits available only for its own package products. A representative example is the Aqua Spa, offered exclusively through partnerships in Da Nang and Nha Trang products. Established by local specialized travel agency JM Global, this facility features premium courses including Finnish traditional sauna, Vietnamese traditional oak barrel half-body baths, herbal ball therapy, natural jade stone therapy, foot care, and nail art, differentiating itself from other local businesses. The spacious interior is decorated with high-end materials such as marble, aiming to provide a high-end service where users can enjoy a comfortable environment. Considering family travelers with children, a kids' spa and children's restroom are separately arranged. Kim Hyun-sung, CEO of JM Global, emphasized, "Although inquiries are flooding in from various places including the local Korean association, we strictly control internal access except for a limited number of reservations to provide private services. Only customers using package products through exclusive partnerships with Modetour can experience it."

Aquaspa interior available through the exclusive partnership with Modetour for Vietnam Danang package products
[Photo by JM Global]

Marking its 35th anniversary this year, Modetour plans to make this year the first year of a package business resurgence. First, with the expansion of air routes departing from regional airports, more diverse product operations have become possible. Following Aero K's new route from Cheongju Airport, Jeju Air and Jin Air are increasing flights at Muan International Airport, which is expected to increase available seats. Modetour also plans to expand BP agencies that directly interact with consumers on the front lines. Among about 6,000 general Modetour agencies, the number of BP agencies receiving separate support for professional personnel and marketing activities decreased from 750 in 2019 to 484 due to COVID-19. The goal this year is to increase this to 520, with a mid- to long-term plan to recover to pre-COVID levels.

Woo Jong-woong, chairman of Modetour, said at the recent 35th anniversary ceremony, "I want to once again express my gratitude to our partners including airlines and BP agencies who have been with us for the past 35 years, as well as Modetour employees." He pledged, "With the determination of 'Choshinbulmang Mabujakchim (初心不忘 磨斧作針 - Never forget the original intention and keep working hard no matter how difficult the task), we will make Modetour a great company that lasts over 100 years."

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