Founder of Korea's first e-commerce platform creates AI-based travel app
Oh Hyuk, chief technology officer of travel platform, Les Vacances, poses for a photo at the Westin Josun Seoul hotel. Courtesy of Les Vacances
Personalized travel solution based on real-time, premium information
By Lee Hae-rin
Oh Hyuk, the founder of Korea's first e-commerce platform, Auction, plans to launch a new travel information application next year that uses artificial intelligence to recommend personalized itinerary to sightseers. Unlike existing travel information services, Oh's new platform, aptly named Les Vacances, aims to provide an A-to-Z guide ― ranging from information on flights to restaurants ― catering to individual preferences and adapting to varying travel conditions.
"In a split second, a traveler can have a personalized itinerary. All you need to do is choose which city you wish to go on what date," Oh said, demonstrating a beta site of his yet-to-be-revealed platform during a recent interview with The Korea Times.
Les Vacances brand logo / Courtesy of Les Vacances
Demonstrating the app to this reporter, the developer tapped on "Paris" among the travel destinations on a tablet. He then input some basic information, such as the date of the trip, types of interest and preferred travel destinations.
Seconds later, an itinerary, or a personalized "travel guide book" in Oh's own words, appeared on the screen. The itinerary included a sightseeing schedule featuring stores offering discounts to schedules of events and festivals, and even means of transportation that are available.
"Plus, you can delete, add, and make any changes you want to a given schedule," Oh said. "Every move a user makes will serve as information for the AI, making it become more accurate in terms of reading a client's travel style and preference."
Oh is no stranger when it comes to using technology to boost the convenience of customers.
In 1998, he launched the Auction online shopping platform when the concept of buying products on the web was alien to most Koreans. The comprehensive shopping and price comparison service grew to become an IT giant, listing on the tech-heavy Kosdaq market in June of 2000. Oh left the company the following year after Auction was acquired by eBay.
Although not an avid tourist, Oh said he took on the challenge of developing the new platform because he believes the travel industry harbors as much potential as shopping did in the late 1990s. He said the travel industry is a "promising internet business that has not seen its best solution so far."
Existing travel services are too outdated to meet the needs of fast-changing sightseeing trends and diverse preferences, Oh explained.
"Why should we travel with the information of the past when a trip always happens in the future?" he asked, referring to the reviews and publications that travelers normally rely on but often fail to keep abreast of rapidly-changing conditions. "So we decided to focus on the information of the future," Oh added.
He joined Les Vacances in 2019 as a chief technology officer, a company which previously specialized in creating premium travel content via publications and B2B services, and got to work building an AI-based digital solution offering tailored travel guides.
Paperback publications of Les Vacances' travel guides published between 2007 and 2018 packed with information on Italy, France, Germany, Greece, the United Kingdom and Spain among other destinations. / Courtesy of Les Vacances
Between 2007 and 2018, Les Vacances built a solid database of premium travel information with a team of 170 researchers and editors. They have produced the Les Vacances series ― a quasi-encyclopedia spanning 700 volumes on 2.5 million attractions in 254 cities worldwide.
Based on the information contained in the series, Les Vacances plans to add real-time updates or "information of the future" in Oh's own words, gleaned from a network of merchants associations, government bodies, tourism organizations and other sources around the world.
As Auction's mission was to "present every purchase option in the world" to customers, possibly at the most reasonable price, the developer now aims to do the same for travelers.
"What we're doing is just building a framework that more people can access more easily, more often, and more voluntarily," he said.
Oh added that he hopes to see his next product elevate travel culture to a new level, where anyone can design what could become their most-memorable trip.
lhr@koreatimes.co.kr More articles by this reporter