South Korea's Tourism Industry Accelerates Technological Innovation Through Patents. Pushing for Both Technology Development and Patent Strategies in the Smart Tourism Era

Yanolja Research released its report, “Technological Trends in South Korea’s Tourism Industry: Patent Analysis of Major Hotel Companies and Tourism Startups,” on November 4. This report analyzes the technological growth trends in South Korea's tourism industry through patent filing trends and highlights the importance of technology development and patent strategies to enhance global competitiveness in the future.

According to the report, patent filings by South Korea's major hotel companies and tourism startups began in earnest in 2006 with 11 cases and have steadily increased since then. Particularly notable is the acceleration of technological innovation since 2014, with over 20 patents filed annually. In 2022, a record 37 patents were filed, demonstrating the continuation of technological development even amid the pandemic. The report emphasized that this growth in patent filings is a key indicator of South Korea's digital transformation and advanced technology convergence trends within the tourism industry.

Trends in Patent Filings by Major Tourism Companies in South Korea

The report also revealed that technological development in South Korea’s tourism industry has become more diversified over time. Until 2015, tourism companies focused on specific technological areas. However, since 2016, a clear trend of technology convergence has emerged, with various technological fields being integrated.

For instance, the 25 patents filed in 2016 involved 67 technological fields, while the 37 patents filed in 2022 covered 96 technological fields. This reflects the growing integration of multiple technological fields into single patents.

Suckwon Hong, Senior Researcher at Yanolja Research, noted, “Since 2016, the number of technological fields incorporated into a single patent has increased significantly. This trend of technology convergence, which creates new value by integrating diverse fields, has become a driving force in the technological advancement of South Korea’s tourism industry.”

Trends in the Number of Patents Filed and the Number of Classification Codes (Technological Fields) by Major Tourism Companies

The report highlighted that technological advancements in South Korea's tourism industry have been driven by the convergence of various technologies, particularly those centered on ICT for e-commerce. Between 1997 and 2015, there were nine cases of technology convergence focused on ICT and payment systems for e-commerce, primarily aimed at implementing business process services.

From 2016 to 2019, 25 cases of technology convergence were observed, with significant advancements in ICT for marketing and pricing. These developments contributed to the tourism industry's ability to provide more sophisticated, customer-tailored services.

Since 2020, there has been a rapid increase in technologies utilizing web search personalization and artificial intelligence, resulting in 72 cases of technology convergence. This shift demonstrates that digital innovation has enabled the tourism industry to respond quickly to customer needs and deliver differentiated services.

The report emphasized the necessity of an "ambidextrous strategy" for South Korea’s tourism industry to pursue simultaneous technological development and patent strategies. It argued that in the face of intense global competition, mere technological development is insufficient to maintain competitiveness. Continuous investment in innovative technologies and strategic patent protection are essential to achieve differentiation from competitors.

The report also pointed out that as the competitive landscape of the tourism industry expands globally, the need to protect technologies through patents in overseas markets is growing. Strengthening intellectual property rights abroad is crucial for South Korea’s tourism industry to secure a technological edge in global markets.

Yanolja Research concluded that such a strategic approach would play a pivotal role in ensuring the survival and growth of South Korea’s tourism industry in the global arena.