[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] The "subscription economy," a consumer trend where customers pay a fixed amount over a certain period to regularly receive products and services, is making its debut in travel products in Korea for the first time.
The Korea Tourism Organization announced that, in collaboration with the Gangwon Tourism Foundation and Seungwoo Travel Agency, it will launch the "Gangwon Trekking Travel Subscription Product" starting from the 16th to support the early recovery of the local economy, which has been stagnant due to COVID-19, and to revitalize the industry.
The Tourism Organization noted that the subscription economy began mainly in the distribution sector in Korea and has recently expanded into various fields such as campervans. Based on reasonable pricing, this product was planned to encourage regular domestic travel among walking travel enthusiasts and to generate stable revenue for the industry.
This travel product is composed of three themes using trekking, which can be safely enjoyed in the COVID era: "Gangwon Wildflower Trekking," "Gangwon Old Road Walking," and "East Coast Haeparang Trail." The travel period and number of participations vary depending on the chosen theme. Each product consists of 5 to 12 day trips according to the theme. Various travel courses are offered for each session, allowing purchasers to enjoy different trekking courses every week. When purchasing the product, transportation (dedicated bus), local love gift certificates, course completion certificates, and special souvenirs are also provided.
The course composition, which reflects the detailed preferences of domestic walking travelers by theme and season, is also noteworthy. The "Gangwon Wildflower Trekking" theme, consisting of five courses, allows participants to see fully bloomed summer wildflowers from mid-July to the end of August at places like Samcheok Daetjae and Jeongseon Hambak Mountain Manhangjae, and to explore the colony of water plum blossoms in the deep valley of Jeongseon Deoksangi in late September. The "Gangwon Old Road Walking" theme, with six courses, travels along disappearing old mountain passes such as Godeunjae, which crosses Sinrim and Wonju, and Guryongryeong, connecting Hongcheon and Yangyang. The "East Coast Haeparang Trail" theme covers the section from Goseong to Samcheok with a total of 12 courses. Each course is divided into sections of about 10 km so that even general trekkers can walk without burden. The number of participants is limited to 60 per theme, totaling 180 people.
The schedule will be conducted in strict compliance with quarantine guidelines. When reserving the product, accompanying groups are limited to fewer than five people, and a maximum of 21 people can board one dedicated bus (45 seats). Participants must wear masks, have their temperatures checked, and maintain a distance of at least 2 meters from others. Meals are supported with local love gift certificates and are to be taken by each group rather than as a large group.
Discount benefits are also available. If the product is purchased by the end of this month, a 15% discount applies, and a special 30% discount is offered to vaccinated individuals (including those who have received the first dose). Detailed information and product purchases can be found on the Seungwoo Travel Agency website.
Park Beomseok, head of the Gangwon branch of the Korea Tourism Organization, said, "The advantage of the travel subscription product is that consumers can regularly receive travel services of reasonable quality with a one-time purchase, and the travel industry can secure a stable revenue and sales base." He added, "We will continue to discover and nurture various subscription-type and customized domestic travel products in the region so that they can take root in the industry."
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