South Korea is aligning its tourism industry with the country’s broader AI and digital transformation agenda. By expanding its national tourism startup program to include deep tech and immersive content ventures, the government aims to turn traditional tourism into a smart, innovation-driven export sector capable of competing on a global scale.
MCST and KTO Launch the 17th Tourism Venture Business Contest
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), together with the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), has opened applications for the 17th Tourism Venture Business Contest, running from February 3 to March 4, 2026.
This year’s edition focuses on discovering AI-powered and digital innovation tourism startups capable of redefining how travelers experience Korea. A total of 100 companies will be selected across three growth stages:
- Preliminary Tourism Ventures: 20 pre-founders preparing for launch
- Early Tourism Ventures: 40 companies founded within the past three years
- Growth Tourism Ventures: 40 companies with three to seven years of operations
Each selected participant will receive up to 100 million KRW (about USD 75,000) in commercialization funding by November 2026, along with management consulting, training, and global investment support.
Applications are open via the Korea Tourism Industry Portal (Touraz.kr).
Tourism Startup Program Context: From Traditional Tourism to Smart Innovation
This year’s competition signals a major policy pivot. Tourism innovation is now treated as a core national industry, positioned alongside Korea’s broader AI and digital transformation efforts.
Startups can apply under one of the four focus categories:
- Tourism Experience Services
- Immersive Tourism Content
- Tourism Infrastructure
- Tourism Deep-Tech Solutions
By connecting tourism entrepreneurship with deep tech capabilities, the government seeks to establish a new model of “smart tourism” — one that merges creative content, data analytics, and AI systems to modernize how destinations operate and how travelers engage.
The initiative also reflects lessons from recent years: ventures supported under previous programs achieved tangible results, including awards at the CES global tech fair and successful investment rounds, confirming the growing international competitiveness of “K-Tourism” technology.
Policy Vision and Market Relevance
An official from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism explained that AI and digital technology are rapidly restructuring the tourism sector, adding:
“Tourism ventures are at the heart of this change. We are strengthening full-cycle support so these companies can compete globally while driving the digital and value transformation of Korea’s tourism industry.”
The Korea Tourism Organization emphasized that tourism innovation is now tied directly to national competitiveness, highlighting the program’s success in producing globally recognized startups that blend cultural creativity with emerging technologies.
Korea’s “Smart Tourism” as Exportable Innovation
The expanded venture initiative positions tourism as both an economic growth engine and a technology testbed. By integrating AI, immersive content, and deep tech, the program effectively turns the tourism sector into a sandbox for digital experimentation, similar to what fintech and mobility ecosystems achieved in earlier policy cycles.
For Korea’s startup ecosystem, this means a new avenue of government-backed support beyond manufacturing and ICT. Tourism, traditionally seen as a service-heavy industry, is now being reframed as a data-rich, innovation-intensive domain that can foster cross-sector partnerships — particularly in AI, content production, spatial computing, and smart infrastructure.
For global investors, the contest signals where Korea’s innovation policy is heading next: linking cultural export industries with advanced technologies to strengthen global influence in experience-based economies.
Korea’s Tourism Transformation Enters Its Next Phase
The Tourism Venture Business Contest is moving beyond a niche accelerator, turning into a core part of Korea’s technology and export strategy. By transforming tourism into a proving ground for AI, immersive media, and deep tech startups, the government is effectively redefining the boundaries between culture, innovation, and economic policy.
If executed effectively, the 2026 program could help Korea position itself not only as a travel destination but also as a global leader in smart tourism innovation — where every journey becomes a data-driven experience.
Key Takeaway on Korea’s Tourism Startup Program
- Organizer: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and Korea Tourism Organization (KTO).
- Program: 17th Tourism Venture Business Contest (Feb 3–Mar 4, 2026).
- Selection: 100 startups across pre-founders, early-stage, and growth categories.
- Funding: Up to 100 million KRW per company by November 2026.
- Focus Sectors: AI, deep tech, immersive content, infrastructure-based tourism innovation.
- Support: Training, consulting, and global investment linkage.
- Outcome Goal: Build a globally competitive smart tourism ecosystem driven by technology.
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