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Yanolja Cloud CEO Kim Jong-yoon poses during an interview with The Korea Herald at Yanolja’s headquarters in southern Seoul, on April 11. (Im Se-jun/ The Korea Herald)
From helping local travelers book a night’s stay in Korea to developing AI solutions for the travel industry, Yanolja Cloud has emerged as a bold case study in global travel tech transformation.
What began in 2007 as a modest accommodation reservation app for youngsters in Korea has since gradually evolved into a concept of a global travel tech powerhouse.
At the helm is Yanolja Cloud CEO Kim Jong-yoon, whose vision of vertical AI — not just smart, but travel-smart — is steering the company beyond traditional online travel services into the future of intelligent, automated guest experiences.
Today, Yanolja Cloud serves over 1.3 million partners across 206 countries and operates local offices in 28 countries.
When The Korea Herald met Kim at the Yanolja headquarters in southern Seoul on April 11, he was preparing for a series of business trips to Dubai, India and Latin America just days after returning from the US West Coast.
“I’ve gotten used to wearing a suit and a tie to meetings in some of the world’s top vacation spots, gazing out at the beach while watching tourists enjoy themselves,” Kim said with a laugh. “For me, work has become travel, and travel has become work.”
Kim described himself as an outdoor explorer who loved traveling wherever he could during his youth. “Now, as an adult who also enjoys working, the experience of meeting and connecting with people around the world feels like a journey in itself — and that brings me joy,” he said.
Before joining Yanolja, Kim held leadership roles at McKinsey & Company, Google and 3M. He majored in chemical engineering at Seoul National University and earned an MBA at Dartmouth College. Kim joined Yanolja in 2015 as chief business officer and expanded his responsibilities in 2021, taking on the roles of CEO and the group’s chief strategy officer.
“We’re not just digitizing travel, but redefining the very fabric of the industry,” Kim said.
The company’s pivot from a traditional online travel agancy to an all-in-one “super-app” and global Software as a Service platform was catalyzed by the pandemic, according to Kim.
“The catastrophic event ended up accelerating change in the industry at an incredible speed. Innovations that would have taken decades happened in months.”
Last year, the company posted a 62 percent year-on-year growth in its cloud business, with AI data solutions now accounting for over 25 percent of cloud revenues. The company’s transaction volume reached a record-high 27 trillion won ($19.6 billion) last year, with a goal to hit the unprecedented 100 trillion mark in the near future.
Yanolja Cloud operates a business-to-business-to-consumer, or B2B2C, model, delivering cloud-based, AI-driven technology solutions tailored for the global hospitality and travel industry. Its business strategy is built on three core pillars: subscription solutions, transaction solutions and data solutions.
Through its subscription offerings, Yanolja Cloud provides SaaS tools for hotels and travel operators, including property management systems, booking engines and revenue management platforms.
Its transaction solutions connect partners to global distribution networks such as Trip.com and Agoda, earning commissions only when bookings are successfully made. This reduces upfront costs and makes digital transformation more accessible for operators.
Kim explains Yanolja Cloud’s vision during an interview with The Korea Herald at Yanolja’s headquarters in southern Seoul, on April 11. (Im Se-jun/ The Korea Herald)
Finally, its data solutions harness extensive travel and operational data to help partners optimize performance and maximize profitability.
Such an integrated approach positions Yanolja Cloud as a full-stack digital platform fit for the travel industry, according to Kim.
“Imagine a hotel stay where your AI concierge negotiates room rates, tailors amenities to your preferences, and even automates rebooking if prices drop,” the CEO explained. “The future of travel isn’t just about AI, it’s about AI that understands the deepest nuances of hospitality. In other words, we’re building vertical AI that can create a world where AI doesn’t simply recommend, but orchestrates the entire guest experience, end-to-end.”
As part of such an ambition, Yanolja formed a strategic partnership with Google Cloud in February. By leveraging Google’s infrastructure, Yanolja plans to elevate its travel-specific generative AI services to create more personalized experiences for travelers and streamline operations for enterprises.
With rumors swirling about a potential US IPO, Kim remained tight-lipped but acknowledged the global interest in the company.
“We are indeed receiving calls from the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, which shows that we are heading towards (becoming) a global player in the travel tech industry.”
Looking ahead, Kim acknowledged that there is still a long way to go, especially for a Korean company in a sector traditionally dominated by Western giants.
“Korea’s share of the global travel market is only 0.6 percent,” he pointed out. “If we stayed local, we’d never break through that ceiling. That’s why we’ve expanded globally, and why we’ll continue to do so.”
The Top 100 Global Innovators series spotlights the trailblazers shaping Korea’s future across a range of industries — from bold entrepreneurs and tech pioneers to research leaders — whose innovations are making a global impact beyond Korea. More than a celebration of success, the series offers a deeper exploration of the ideas, breakthroughs and strategies driving their achievements. — Ed.
By Kim Hae-yeon (hykim@heraldcorp.com)
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