South Korea’s travel and tourism industry stands at a pivotal moment. Post-pandemic, the sector has undergone dramatic transformation as demand surges for AI-powered experiences, personalized itineraries, and real-time travel intelligence—particularly among MZ generation travelers who expect seamless digital integration at every touchpoint.

Yet breaking into global markets remains challenging for Korean travel-tech startups. Limited overseas market intelligence, weak local networks, and nascent global marketing capabilities create formidable barriers. Each regional market—North America, Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia—demands tailored approaches and deep partnership networks that take years to build organically.

Enter the 2025 Tourism Global Challenge. Organized by Korea Tourism Organization and operated by CNTTech, this program has become the essential platform accelerating Korean travel startups’ global expansion. Rather than simple funding, it delivers what founders genuinely need: expert mentorship, direct market access, and curated global networks.

Through rigorous vetting, 15 startups with breakthrough technologies spanning AI-powered travel services, smart tourism infrastructure, and next-generation content platforms. Over recent months, these companies participated in intensive development programs—refining business models, sharpening investment pitches, and building IR capabilities that meet international investor expectations.

The program’s crown jewel? Direct access to three major international markets. Companies participated in InnoEX 2025 in Vietnam, GITEX 2025 in Dubai, and targeted programs in China—meeting investors, partners, and customers face-to-face while absorbing critical local market intelligence. In Vietnam’s booming travel market, several companies signed MOUs for market entry. Dubai’s GITEX opened doors to the Middle East’s affluent travel sector and European tourist flows. China programs provided ground truth on navigating the world’s largest travel market, from regulatory frameworks to business culture.

Korea Tourism Organization and CNTTech backed these efforts with comprehensive support: over 10 specialized mentoring and training sessions covering IR skills, global business environments, and model refinement; practical on-the-ground assistance at overseas exhibitions including booth operations and networking facilitation; curated investor introductions domestically and internationally; and financial support for IT infrastructure, IP protection, and content development.

The results speak for themselves. Video Monster is democratizing travel content creation with AI-powered video editing that requires zero technical expertise. Go2Joy, Vietnam’s #1 hourly hotel platform, has locked in 5,500+ partner hotels and 2.2 million users. Haenyeo Kitchen Group successfully brought Jeju’s haenyeo culture to Singapore through theatrical immersive dining experiences. Splab established a U.S. entity after revolutionizing the event industry with its AI-powered platform ‘Umoh.’

The Service Platform is preparing Japanese and European market entries with its integrated shopping platform for international tourists, while Hash Purple reached profitability with 400,000 downloads of its K-fandom advertising platform ‘O4O.’ OhMyHotel&Co serves 6,200+ hotel partners across Asia with integrated SaaS solutions, processing over 150 billion KRW annually. Play Legend is scaling K-content-based digital theme parks across Southeast Asia.

Live Anywhere captured the mid-term accommodation sweet spot (1 week to 2 months) with 16,000+ properties and 2.4 million app downloads. Daebak shipped 400,000 ‘Unbox Korea’ subscription boxes to 100 countries, collaborating with 200 Korean brands. LBStech won CES 2025 Innovation Awards while building 7.8+ million barrier-free urban data points for pedestrians with mobility challenges.

Connect.ED partners with 15,000+ educational institutions to reshape the study-abroad market through AI. Solvook expands global student exchange through international education programs. Streaming House merges live commerce with content production, creating fresh opportunities in social commerce.

• VideoMonster, “Expanding to Southeast Asia with 400K Users, Scaling Travel Content API”  
• Go2Joy: “Pioneering Hourly Hotel Bookings to Transform Vietnam’s Hospitality Industry”  
• PLAYLEGEND, “Revolutionizing Indoor Sports Entertainment with Immersive Digital Theme Parks”  
• OhMyHotel&Co: “Transforming Asia’s Hotel Industry with All-in-One SaaS Platform”  
• LBStech: Building Barrier-Free Cities for Everyone Through AI-Powered Pedestrian Data  
• Haenyeo Kitchen Group, “Transforming Jeju’s Diving Heritage Into Immersive Culinary Theater”  
• Daebak: “Transforming K-Culture Fandom into Global Business Opportunities”  
• LiveAnywhere, “Bridging the Gap Between Short Stays and Long Leases with Flexible Housing Solutions”  
• Connect.ED, “Reimagining Study Abroad Through AI and Building a Lifelong Learning Ecosystem”  
• Hashpurple: “Revolutionizing K-Pop Fan Culture with Transparent Crowdfunding for Global Fandom”  
• Solvook: “Building Educational Content Ecosystem with AI”  
• The Service Platform: “Revolutionizing Travel Shopping with Online E-Commerce and Tax-Free Services”  
• THE HYUIL: “Building the Airbnb of Workation – Connecting Regions, Companies, and Digital Nomads”  
• Splab, “Umoh AI: Fully Automated 10K+ Attendee Conferences Start here.” 

These aren’t just promising startups—they’re companies proving Korean travel-tech excellence on the global stage right now. With systematic support from Korea Tourism Organization and CNTTech, they’ve established beachheads in Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, the U.S., and the Middle East. The 2025 Tourism Global Challenge represents strategic investment in Korea’s tourism competitiveness, and these 14 companies are writing the playbook for what comes next.