Klook Strengthens Domestic Rental Car Category as 'Contactless Travel Essential'
WagTravel Launches Joint Campaign with T'way Air
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] As the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) continues, travel platform companies are making efforts to revitalize the sluggish domestic travel market. The focus is on COVID-19 prevention and travel products that can be used with peace of mind.
The global independent travel activity platform Klook has strengthened its rental car category in response to the increasing demand for contactless travel. Market research firm Statista has projected that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the rental car market in the Asia region will grow by more than 20% annually from this year through 2024, reaching a scale of $40.2 billion. In Korea, demand is increasing to maintain contactless travel by using rental cars or car-sharing services instead of public transportation, which tends to be crowded when traveling to nearby areas. With overseas travel becoming impossible due to COVID-19, the proportion of travelers choosing contactless travel destinations and domestic "chabak" (car camping) trips as alternatives is rising.
Klook is expanding the areas where rental cars can be used, from Jeju Island to Ulleungdo, by strengthening cooperation with major domestic rental car partners such as the rental car price comparison platform Kamoa and Jeju Asan Rent-a-Car. Additionally, they are offering benefits that allow reservations for rental cars nationwide at a 15% discounted price, including during the Chuseok holiday period through January next year. Besides general rental car products, they also offer short-term rentals of the "Camping Car Roddy," a camper van converted from the compact car Ray, which has attracted attention, as well as the "Jeju Sensibility Chabak" set, which rents out all car camping supplies for trips to Jeju.
Wag Travel, which operates the travel activity reservation platform Wag, is conducting a joint marketing campaign with T'way Air to revitalize the domestic tourism economy. Through this campaign, running until the 6th of next month, customers can book airline tickets and activities for popular domestic destinations such as Jeju, Busan, and Gangwon-do at discounts of 12% and 10% off the regular prices, respectively. Airline tickets can only be checked and booked at discounted prices through a dedicated campaign page separately opened on Wag. In particular, the boarding period for airline tickets is set until December 30, allowing office workers planning medium- to long-term year-end trips using their remaining annual leave to respond enthusiastically. There is no limit on the number of purchases per ID.
Wag actively posts various information about travel destinations, including popular activities by region and accommodations near major tourist spots, on its main SNS channels operated independently. This is to provide convenience for users when planning their travel schedules. Wag Travel explained that it is meaningful to revitalize the domestic tourism economy, which has been struggling due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, by expanding regionally focused travel content from key regional travel hubs to surrounding small towns, thereby creating a virtuous cycle of domestic travel.
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