100 Tourism Ventures Selected, Equipped with AI, Fandom, and Local Experiences

Ministry Selects 100 Preliminary, Initial, and Growth-Stage Projects
Innovation in Technology, Fandom, and Local Experience Stands Out
Customized and Experiential Services for International Visitors in the Spotlight

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization announced on April 22 that a total of 100 projects had been selected as final winners in the 17th Tourism Venture Business Competition. This includes 20 preliminary tourism ventures, 40 initial tourism ventures, and 40 growth-stage tourism ventures.

Service image of SeletTrip, selected as an early tourism venture in the Tourism Venture Project competition. SeletTrip

The Tourism Venture Business Competition is a program that discovers and nurtures venture companies with creative ideas in the tourism sector. This year, over 1,500 applications were received—a 35.2% increase from the previous year—resulting in a competition rate of 15 to 1.

This year’s competition saw a notable emphasis on tourism services utilizing artificial intelligence (AI). Selected projects include 'Hanora Kidstrip,' an AI-based real-time route optimization service for tourists with children; 'RandomTrip,' a hyper-personalized regional travel recommendation service that reveals the destination on the day of departure; 'ZeroVata,' a hotel AI customer service platform supporting 30 languages; and 'Keeper,' an automated facility operation platform for accommodation providers.

Customized products for foreigners, reflecting the global K-culture phenomenon, were also included. Examples are 'SeletTrip,' a fan-customized travel service featuring K-pop singers as virtual guides; 'Fanwalk,' which connects K-culture fan demand for travel to Korea with experiential products; 'HandyBus,' a mobility platform specializing in K-pop concert transportation; and 'Gotaek Live Dining,' a fusion offering of hanok live experiences and fine dining for foreign visitors.

Services that leverage unique local experiences were also selected. Notable examples include 'Temple Run,' which combines temple culture and running; 'Chungcheongdo Saecham Hansang,' which fuses the traditional itinerant merchant culture and cuisine of Chungcheong Province; 'POC,' a stay-type tourism model that links regional assets with trail running; 'Meongkok,' a pet-friendly tourism platform; and 'Lockerfee,' a luggage storage service that utilizes available space in cafes for travelers.

The selected companies will receive up to 100 million won in commercialization support funds over one year, as well as tailored programs such as business diagnostics, expert consulting, investment attraction, and domestic and overseas market development. The results can be found starting from April 22 on the Korea Tourism Industry Portal Tourraze.

In consideration of increased demand for the tourism venture competition and the recent decline in entrepreneurship and investment due to high oil prices, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has also allocated an additional budget of 8.6 billion won. This includes 4.6 billion won for the Tourism Venture Business Competition, 2 billion won for the Tourism Plus Tech Project, and 2 billion won for the Global Fostering of Leading Tourism Companies. The ministry aims to use these funds to support the growth of tourism companies and enhance the overall competitiveness of the tourism industry.

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