Korea Tourism Organization President Park Sung-hyeuck speaks during his welcome remarks for the "2026 Tourism Global Business Day" event at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas, Tuesday. Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization

Korea is betting big on tourism innovation, turning to international venture capital to transform its domestic startups into global market leaders.

At the 2026 Tourism Global Business Day, hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism alongside the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), more than 270 entrepreneurs, investors and industry delegates gathered at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas for a two-day dealmaking summit. The event, which concluded Wednesday, set a record turnout for the annual gathering.

Central to this year’s expanded program was a newly introduced matchmaking system that facilitated more than 330 one-on-one consultation sessions between promising local startups and institutional investors. Representatives from 20 prominent venture capital firms across six key overseas markets — the United States, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong — attended the Seoul conference. Many of these cross-border investors were brought in through KTO’s network of specialized Korea Tourism Startup Centers currently operating in Singapore, Tokyo and Bangkok.

The strategy produced results on opening day. CrossHub, a local fintech startup specializing in artificial intelligence and blockchain-based digital identity and payment infrastructure, secured a $100,000 investment commitment from ThinkZone Ventures, one of Vietnam’s largest venture capital funds.

CrossHub’s flagship service, Travel Pass, is a prepaid payment platform designed specifically for foreign visitors. By streamlining local financial transactions and eliminating persistent language barriers at retail checkouts, the service addresses a key friction point for international travelers navigating Korea’s commercial landscape.

In addition to direct dealmaking, the two-day summit featured competitive pitch presentations alongside strategic market briefings. Representatives from the Japan External Trade Organization and Thailand’s National Innovation Agency delivered guest lectures detailing government support policies, local regulatory environments and market-entry tactics for Korean entrepreneurs seeking to scale operations across Asia.

"We will spare no follow-up support, including helping startups participate in major international trade expos, to ensure domestic firms secure global backing," said Kim Gwan-mi, director of KTO’s Tourism Business Support Division. "Our goal is to work alongside these founders directly in the field to help foster Korea’s first true tourism unicorns."

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.