[Travel] "A Platform That Maximizes Attention to Detail": A Small Travel Agency’s Successful Funding Journey

#10

By Hong Young-ju, a maker at Suhyeon Airlines Travel Agency
"Travel Funding: Success!"

"Suhyeon Airlines Travel Agency" Maker Profile

3-Line Summary

• Suhyeon Air Travel Agency, with 30 years of experience, launched its first funding campaign last April for a Mongolia travel package. As a result,120 supporters came together to raise approximately 14 million won.
• Following the successful completion of an encore funding campaign, the agency launched new travel funding campaigns in August for destinations including not only Mongolia but also Las Vegas, Da Nang, and Israel.
• As a travel agency that has weathered difficult times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they cited wadiz as the best platform for actively showcasing the unique strengths of a small travel agency and taking on new challenges.

Planning Travel Packages That Benefit Everyone

Q. Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Could you please introduce Suhyeon Air Travel Agency? 

Hello, we are Suhyeon Air Travel Agency, a company that has been in the travel business for over 30 years. Last April, welaunched our first Wadiz crowdfunding campaign for a A weekend tour to Mongolia that uses wadiz funding to make it easy for working professionals to get away. At that time,120 supporters participated, and wesuccessfully raised approximately 14 million won. Following an encore funding campaign in June, we launched funding for six new travel packages in August alone. 

Q. I didn’t know it was possible to travel to Mongolia over a weekend. What inspired you to plan these trips?

I used to visit Mongolia frequently for company-sponsored volunteer work. However, starting this year, we began expanding our travel business targeting Koreans in Mongolia, which created many opportunities to discuss planning. During that process, I learned that small local travel agencies in Mongolia suffer significant financial losses when they collaborate with large Korean travel agencies. I wanted to take the lead in creating travel packages, so I decided to take the lead and began planning. 

Mongolia is a country close enough to reach in about 3 hours and 30 minutes by plane, and there are many locals who speak Korean fluently.It’s a place where vastnatural landscapes coexist with convenient urban areas, making it a destination that people of all ages can enjoy. I planned this trip to Mongolia because I believe it has the potential to be a viable alternative to Japan as a travel destination, and I was truly proud that so many people showed interest—far more than I had expected.    

To make it simple and easy to go on a trip through wadiz 

Q. It was also unique to be able to go on a trip through a wadiz funding campaign.
After planning the trip to Mongolia, what made you decide to try a wadiz funding campaign?

We went through a difficult time during the COVID-19 pandemic, but this year, we made an internal resolution to start anew with a fresh mindset. We wanted to introduce a product unique to our travel agency by appropriately combining the convenience of package tours with the special charm of independent travel. As I was brainstorming various sales methods, wadiz was the first platform that came to mind. Since I’ve been a long-time wadiz supporter, the thought that Wadiz was the most suitable platform. 

Q. What did you focus on most while planning the travel package for the wadiz funding campaign? 

We held online pre-launch meetings with supporters to address their questions (left) and made efforts to alleviate concerns by personally inspecting accommodations in Mongolia (right)

Above all, I spent the most time coming up withfeatures that our supporters would enjoy. These days, there’s so much travel information out there that you can find just by doing a quick search on a portal site.I worked hard to provide a convenient experience that isn’t easily found through those sources.

For example, Mongolia is a country where the distances between regions are long, but since Koreans are legally prohibited from driving there, a local driver and guide are absolutely necessary. However, if you join us on wadiz, you won’t need to arrange for a companion separately. We’ve also set up a service that includes online pre-trip meetings—something typical travel agencies don’t offer—so you can ask detailed questions about anything you’re curious about. To effectively convey these unique selling points in our funding story, we refined the content through multiple rounds of feedback and revisions to ensure the highest quality.

Q. The actual project satisfaction rating is very high at 5.0.
Following our first funding campaign, our second Mongolia travel funding campaign in June also raised approximately 26 million won.

That’s right—we were actually quite surprised internally because so many more people showed interest than we had anticipated. As we got to meet our supporters through the funding campaign, our greatest hope was that they would come to love Mongolia through us. That’s why we conducted pre-trip consultations without distinction—whether on weekdays, weekends, day, or night. We even paid close attention to minor questions like, “What’s the right size for a suitcase?” (Laughs) Since we put so much effort into it, our supporters really appreciated it. They seemed particularly satisfied with the fact that, through us, they could set off on a trip simply and clearly, without any hassle.

From people in their 20s to those in their 50s
Planning travel packages with no age restrictions

A Trip to Mongolia with Supporters of All Ages

Q. Were there any common characteristics among the wadiz supporters you met in person during the trip? 

Just as we’d expected, there were definitely a lot of office workers. Many of them joined the trip right after work. It was fascinating to hear them tell us time and again that, thanks to us, they were taking their first-ever trip without any major worries or plans. Since traveling through a wadiz funding campaign isn’t a common experience, the supporters actually ended up promoting it naturally by sharing their firsthand stories with people around them. 

Also, the age range was quite diverse, spanning from their 20s to their 50s. At first, I thought the majority would be in their 20s and 30s, but in reality, people in their 40s and 50s made up about 30% of the group. It was an interesting insight to see that even people in the older age groups were using wadiz to seek out unique experiences. That’s why we were able to plan our new funding project in a way that would satisfy as wide a range of age groups as possible.

Conveying the meticulous strengths of a small travel agency
conveyed through our funding stories

We fully incorporated into the Story the unique aspects of the travel agency—which can’t be found on other sites—and the benefits of our curated products.

Q. What advantages did you find in wadiz’s travel funding while running the campaign yourself? 

In reality, the countries people visit and the package compositions are quite similar across travel agencies. As a result, customers often don’t perceive significant differences in the travel packages themselves. However, if you look closely, the details inevitably vary slightly depending on the travel agency and the personality of the person who planned the package. This is where Wadiz funding is where a platform where we can maximize those subtle, detailed differences. That’s because the funding story—which allows us to weave in the brand’s narrative and the specifics of the product or service—can also capture the unique personality and style of both the travel agency and the person in charge.I think the fact that the travel package can be differentiated through the fundingstory itself is a major advantage.

Q. This past August, you launched six new travel funding campaigns for various destinations, including Las Vegas, Da Nang, Israel, Sokcho, and Yeongju. What drives you to continue launching these campaigns?

Although we’re a travel agency with a long history, we’re not a large-scale operation. As a result, it was inevitably difficult for us to stand out on general travel platforms .However, we felt thatthrough wadiz, we could actively convey the authenticity unique to Suhyeon Air Travel Agency to our customers.I think we continue to run these funding campaigns to create opportunities for morepeople to fulfill their bucket list dreams with us. After successfully wrapping up our first funding campaign, we recently formed a partnership with wadiz. We hope to continue contributing in our own unique way to revitalize travel products on wadiz.

Why We Recommend wadiz Travel Funding

Suhyeon Air Travel Agency has continued its travel funding efforts with eight projects over the past year.

Q. I imagine many people are inspired by Suhyeon Air Travel Agency’s funding journey.
Finally, please share a few words with aspiring travel makers.

I highly recommend giving wadiz funding a try.As we’ve navigated the pandemic, so many people in the travel industry—including us—have struggled. Some have had to shut down their businesses, and many have left the industry altogether. It’s precisely at times like these that we need to pool our remaining strength I believe that only by trying new things together can we move forward in a new direction. 

If you go through that process with wadiz, I think you’ll be able to achieve results with just your dedication and effort, without feeling overwhelmed. From my experience, wadiz is one of the few platforms that allows for such challenges. I hope that, in addition to us, more travel makers will join us so we can enjoy friendly competition and create opportunities for networking. 

Interviewee Hong Young-ju, Director Written by Jeong So-jeong Editor Han Ji-hye