MyRealTrip has integrated traditional package tours from major agencies, pivoting towards a comprehensive B2B2C super-app model. With South Korea’s online travel market hitting 72% penetration and projecting a 9.9% CAGR, platform consolidation is accelerating. Founders must evaluate ecosystem partnerships or pivot to hyper-niche, AI-driven travel experiences to survive and scale.
The Rise of the Travel Super-App Ecosystem
MyRealTrip, a leading South Korean travel startup, has officially expanded its product lineup by onboarding traditional package tours from major domestic agencies such as Kyowon Tour, Chamjoeun Travel, and Lotte Tourism. This move represents a significant evolution from a platform focused primarily on Free Independent Travelers (FIT) to a comprehensive travel super-app. By offering exclusive coupons and card discounts, MyRealTrip is aggressively capturing a broader demographic. With a planned IPO in 2027, this strategy is clearly designed to maximize Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) and lock in users across their entire travel lifecycle—from flights and hotels to guided package tours.
Bridging the Gap: Traditional Agencies Meet Startup Agility
The integration of legacy travel agencies into a startup’s platform exemplifies a highly effective B2B2C model. Traditional agencies, which have historically relied on offline networks and older demographics, gain immediate access to MyRealTrip’s massive, mobile-native user base. Conversely, MyRealTrip expands its inventory without the heavy operational overhead required to curate and manage package tours directly. For startup founders, this demonstrates the power of ecosystem aggregation: rather than disrupting legacy players out of existence, smart platforms turn them into suppliers, thereby consolidating market power and creating a defensible moat against global OTAs.
By the Numbers: South Korea’s Travel Boom
The macroeconomic data strongly supports this platform consolidation strategy. South Korea’s travel agency services market is projected to reach USD 16.9 billion by 2026, scaling to USD 43.2 billion by 2036 at a robust CAGR of 9.9%. Crucially, the online travel segment is dominating, with 72% of all bookings occurring online. The mobile-first nature of the Korean consumer is evident, as 78% of users actively seek app-based discounts. With 2026 outbound trips projected to hit 30.23 million and inbound tourism potentially exceeding 20.36 million, the volume of transactions flowing through mobile interfaces will only exponentially increase. In a market where global giants like Expedia hold a 36% share, local super-apps must aggregate aggressively to maintain dominance.
Strategic Imperatives for Travel Startup Founders
The consolidation of the travel market by super-apps presents both threats and opportunities for emerging startups. Founders should consider the following actionable strategies:
First, leverage the super-app ecosystem. Building a generalist travel booking platform from scratch is increasingly unviable due to customer acquisition costs. Instead, founders should focus on creating unique, high-margin travel experiences or specialized software tools and distribute them through established super-apps like MyRealTrip or Naver Travel to achieve instant scale.
Second, pivot to hyper-niche verticals. While super-apps excel at standardized packages and bookings, they often fail to deliver deeply personalized experiences. Startups should target specific, underserved segments such as luxury experiential travel, elderly-accessible tours, or K-pop/skincare-focused inbound itineraries. The inbound market, which saw 18.7 million visitors in 2025, represents a massive, fragmented opportunity ripe for localized innovation.
Third, integrate AI and seamless tech infrastructure. To partner with super-apps or attract tech-savvy consumers, startups must build robust technological foundations. Implement AI-driven personalization, predictive intent modeling based on user-generated content, and seamless API integrations for mobile payments. Survival in a market growing at a 9.9% CAGR requires operational efficiency that only deep tech integration can provide.