Travel Startups Incubator (TSI) has acquired an equity stake in Korean adventure startup Yana Trip for an undisclosed amount and round.
Founded in April 2015 and based in Seoul, South Korea, Yana Trip offers personalised online tours and activities to the growing number of independent Korean travellers.
Its CEO, Yeun-ah Cho, who named her company after the English pronunciation of her name, said YANA also stands for “You Are Not Alone.”
A former backpacker, Cho recalled how lonely it felt to prepare to go on a backpacking trip all on her own. “With Yana Trip, I wanted to show people that they are not alone when they are travelling,” she said.
Yana Trip offers personalised trips to independent Korean travellers.
Yana Trip caters to Koreans who travel throughout the US, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. It also wants to supplement their trips with bookable outdoor activities.
Travellers can schedule tours and other activities in the cities they plan to visit through the mobile-friendly Yana Trip online portal. Activities include paragliding and skydiving, scuba diving, surfing, biking, and bungee jumping. Other options include sightseeing tours, snorkelling, cruising, fishing and snow tours.
The OTA has contracted directly with more than 1,500 activity tour providers worldwide including Grayline, Big Bus Tour, Cirque du Soleil and London Helicopter.
“We focus on giving our customers what they want, personalised travel services that can be scheduled easily and quickly online,” said Cho
Matt Zito, managing partner at Travel Startups Incubator, said Yana Trip was generating revenue and growing at a fast pace. “We are excited to be working with them to help gain new business and potential distribution through our business development and platform services.”
Earlier this year Yana Trip was certified as a creative tourism venture company by the Korea Tourism Organisation, a highly sought designation within Korea.
