70 Tourism Innovation Ventures Launch, Ushering in a New Era

## Ventures Leading Future Tourism Innovation, Taking a Strong First Step Under the Slogan 'Challenges like a Journey'! On May 8th, Bigplace Studio in Gangnam, Seoul, was filled with the fervent passion of the protagonists who will lead the future tourism industry. It was the scene of the '2025 16th Tourism Venture Support Program (Early-stage Sector)' orientation, co-hosted by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) (organizer) and MY Social Company (operator). Under the vision of 'Challenges like a Journey,' over 120 individuals, including executives and employees from 70 early-stage tourism venture companies finally selected after fierce competition, along with mentors and stakeholders, gathered to announce a new beginning. This national key project targets early-stage companies founded within three years, and only 70 out of 126 competitors were honored with selection after eligibility review, document screening, and presentation evaluations. The selected companies will receive commercialization funds ranging from an average of 54 million KRW to a maximum of 80 million KRW and will maintain their 'Early-stage Tourism Venture' qualification until the end of 2028. This goes beyond simple financial support, securing a powerful growth engine as targets for the Tourism Enterprise Incubation Fund, effectively laying a solid foundation for sustainable growth. The orientation on this day was diversely structured to allow early-stage companies to gain practical value, including sharing growth cases, alumni presentations, business introductions, and networking. Notably, Shin Dong-hoon, CEO of Streaming House, a leading company in the 'workation' sector, likened the tourism venture project to a 'turbo button,' imparting 5 years of survival know-how and 5 mindsets, which resonated greatly with the attendees. Following this, Kim Bit-goeul, Team Leader at MY Social Company, the operating entity, introduced the 'Linchpin Innovation Strategy' for fostering 'irreplaceable' early-stage tourism ventures, presenting a comprehensive support system including 1:1 dedicated mentoring, investment capability enhancement, open innovation, and local sandboxes. The highlight of the event was undoubtedly the first meeting between dedicated mentors and mentee companies. Expert mentors specializing in four core areas—business model advancement, market development, global expansion, and investment attraction—were matched, and they are scheduled to drive practical growth through monthly in-depth mentoring starting in May. Additionally, participating companies explored cooperation opportunities within the same industry and met valuable partners through random grouping networking. Kim Young-rok, CEO of Lock & Learn, a participating company, described this orientation as a 'turning point for clear direction and ecosystem entry,' expressing anticipation that mentoring and connections with fellow companies would be a great strength. Kwon Jong-sul, Head of the Enterprise Support Center at the Korea Tourism Organization, emphasized that "this event goes beyond a simple support program; it is a starting point for cooperation among companies and vision setting," pledging full support for the selected companies to lead new opportunities in the tourism industry.