South Korea is aggressively integrating advanced artificial intelligence into its travel industry, spanning from global corporate strategies to on-the-ground tourist assistance. Global travel tech company Yanolja has detailed its strategy to centralise ‘Agentic AI’ for worldwide synergy, just as a sophisticated ‘AI Tourism Butler’ is deployed in Naejangsan National Park to manage the autumn foliage season rush.
Yanolja Charts Global Course with ‘Agentic AI’
Yanolja recently concluded its ‘Yanolja Global Summit 2025’ on October 27-28 in Seoul. The event, themed ‘Driving the Future of Global Travel Tech’, hosted over 80 executives and leaders from Yanolja’s domestic and international member companies. This third annual summit signals a major push to consolidate synergies between Yanolja and the global firms it has acquired.
Competing in the Global AI Arena
The move is critical as Yanolja faces stiff competition from global platforms like Booking Holdings and Expedia, which are investing heavily in AI for hyper-personalization and operational efficiency. Yanolja’s strategy involves strengthening data connectivity across its B2B solutions—including Yanolja Cloud, GGT, and Sanha IT—and prioritizing AI-based operational automation. The company has explicitly adopted ‘Agentic AI’, not just simple AI, as its core focus, aiming to lead a new technological paradigm.
Strategic Focus on Data and Automation
Discussions at the summit centred on travel-specific vertical AI strategies and expanding data-driven connectivity among global member companies. A roadmap was presented for 11 key global initiatives covering business expansion, technology advancement, and global rebranding. Joint workshops between global R&D and sales teams also explored ways to strengthen an integrated, AI-data-centric technology system. A Yanolja official stated the summit was a meaningful opportunity to share this new direction and “create sustainable growth as a leading travel tech company” through close cooperation on these initiatives.
‘AI Gwangjipsa’ Deployed in Naejangsan Park
While Yanolja plans its global strategy, a practical AI application is already enhancing tourist experiences locally. In Naejangsan National Park, an ‘AI Gwangjipsa’ (AI Tourism Butler) is now operational. This service is a collaboration between the Korea Tourism Organization, Jeongeup City, and private AI firms, designed to relieve congestion and improve safety for visitors.
Real-Time Crowd and Parking Management
The AI butler provides integrated map-based services, including visitor density analysis and parking congestion levels. It offers personalized hiking course recommendations based on age, companions, and preferences. For parking, the system combines drone footage and Kakao data to provide real-time congestion information. If a car park is full, it automatically guides drivers to the nearest available one, integrating with Tmap navigation to show the number of available spaces.
Enhancing Tourist Safety and Language Access
A key feature is the ‘sound-based AI’ for safety. The system is trained to recognize distress sounds, such as screams or spoken calls for “Help me!”, automatically detecting emergencies and sending immediate alerts to the control dashboard. To support the “K-hiking” boom among international visitors, the service also provides multilingual guidance. A live interpretation service supports 37 languages, allowing tourists to hear a real-time translation of a Korean-speaking guide. Additionally, QR codes on signs provide automated translations in 10 languages.