Mobility corporations are competing to capture the demand from foreign tourists. The government's target for foreign tourist attraction this year is 18.5 million people, which surpasses the highest number of visitors recorded in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the industry on the 12th, mobility corporations are seeing foreign tourists as a new growth engine and are continuing strategic investments to provide differentiated mobility experiences, such as medical tourism, premium taxis, and rental cars exclusively for foreigners.
Tada signed a business agreement with the Korea Medical Tourism Association on the 7th, announcing that it would provide hospital accompaniment and transportation services for foreign patients coming for medical tourism. The company plans to strengthen its position in the high-value market by building a new business model that integrates healthcare and tourism.
Kakao Mobility, the number one mobility corporation in the domestic market, has focused on attracting foreign tourists since last year in connection with 'K.ride.' K.ride supports foreigners visiting from over 100 countries to easily use Kakao T Blue, Venti, and deluxe taxis, breaking down language and payment barriers.
Last month, a business agreement for 'promoting tourism in Seoul' was also signed with the Seoul Tourism Foundation, which provided digital leaflets and discounts for foreigners at the Seoul Lantern Festival and Gwanghwamun Market, leading to positive responses, according to the company.
Global mobility corporation Uber is also responding to the demand of foreign tourists in the Korean market through its high global recognition. Last month, Uber completely acquired the equity of Wooty, a joint venture with T Map Mobility under SK Square, establishing an independent operating system.
Since February, the name of the 'Wooty' service has also changed to 'Uber Taxi.' A strength of this service is that foreign tourists can use the Uber app they were using before their visit in Korea as well. Currently, marketing related to the service is being expanded, including advertisements at Incheon Airport. One Uber taxi driver noted, '8 out of 10 customers are foreign tourists.'
SOCAR also expanded its car-sharing service for foreigners to Incheon Airport following Jeju and Seongdong-gu, Seoul, starting from the 13th of last month. The reason mobility companies are focusing on serving foreign customers in this way is due to the rapid recovery of the number of inbound tourists to levels exceeding those before COVID-19.
According to the Korea Tourism Organization, the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea last November was 1.36 million, which is a 22.1% increase compared to the same period last year and 94% of the level recorded in 2019. Significant growth rates are being observed in major markets such as China, Japan, and Taiwan, accelerating the influx of foreign tourists.
According to data released on the 18th of last month by Yanolja Research, a travel research center, the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea this year is expected to reach about 18.73 million. This marks a 7% increase compared to 2019, indicating growth beyond pre-COVID-19 levels.
A representative from the mobility industry said, 'Foreign tourists tend to prefer premium services,' adding that 'with Kakao having captured the domestic mobility market centered on mid-sized taxis, the increase in foreign tourists presents a significant opportunity for latecomers.'