[NE Coffee Chat] Excrew "Koreans and Foreigners, Enjoy Activities Together"

Interview with Excrew CEO Kwak Sangjun
"Crew Leaders" with Expertise Provide Programs and Know-how
Business Expansion Targeting Inbound Tourists

If a foreign tourist comes to Seoul and wants to run a route that fully showcases the unique beauty of Korea, what should they do? Even though running is booming in Korea, it is not easy for tourists to find this kind of information and actually put it into action. This is because most travel products aimed at tourists focus on tickets or sightseeing. Enjoying activities such as running, hiking, and yoga together with Koreans is a great way to experience the local culture, but the entry barrier is quite high. Excrew is a platform that solves this problem. It brings together activity programs in which Korean nationals, foreign residents in Korea, and inbound foreign tourists can all participate.

Kwak Sangjun, CEO, is explaining Ekseukeuru's business model. Ekseukeuru

On the 26th, Kwak Sangjun, CEO of Excrew, said, "We are enabling foreigners to experience activity programs that have already been vetted by domestic consumers." Excrew focused on the fact that many people who challenge themselves with various activities go through a lot of trial and error and failure. It took a long time just to find an activity that suited one’s taste, and even after choosing, beginners needed a professional guide who could provide schedules, equipment, and training. Excrew addresses this problem through highly specialized "crew leaders." CEO Kwak explained, "Crew leaders provide the locations and programs needed for the activities, lowering the entry barrier." Once users select the activity and location they want, they can browse a variety of programs set up by crew leaders. For example, if someone wants to go on a night hike in Gangwon Province, they can choose a program that climbs Chiaksan together on the date that suits them.

To make this possible, Excrew has secured a cumulative 25,000 crew leaders. These crew leaders, who discover hidden spots and share their know-how, consist of freelancers, enthusiasts, and experts. CEO Kwak said, "Not just anyone can become a crew leader," adding, "We conduct interviews to assess their expertise and then sign contracts with them."

In this way, the activity programs provided through Excrew now number around 45,000. The most popular recently are running clubs. In addition, users can experience a wide range of activities on Excrew, including freediving, cycling, walking, surfing, and kayaking. There are even wrestling and arm-wrestling activities. The company has also developed sports tour products that combine watching professional team games with visiting nearby tourist attractions. CEO Kwak explained, "Excrew was the first to create 'run trips,' where people travel to scenic spots that are good for running or prepare together for local marathon races."

Through these efforts, about 200,000 people participated in Excrew’s activity programs last year. Among them, roughly 23,000 were foreign tourists. Excrew’s goal is to increase this number and expand its business globally. CEO Kwak said, "The number of foreign tourists exceeded 18.9 million last year, and we are targeting this growing inbound tourism demand." Having confirmed demand from North America, Europe, and other regions for visiting Korea to enjoy activities, Excrew first launched its service in the United States. Rather than hastily combining the service with commerce, the company is focusing purely on activity programs as a strategy for global expansion. CEO Kwak said, "Our goal this year is to attract more than twice as many foreign tourists as last year."