Web in Travel (WiT) kicks off WiT Seoul 2025 today, convening many of APAC’s most influential leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs, to debate what the next two decades hold for the travel industry.
The theme, “The Next 20”, challenges the industry to look beyond recovery cycles and short‑term gains, and instead design travel that is smarter, more connected, and more conscious. Sessions will spotlight how AI, sustainability, and shifting consumer expectations are reshaping discovery, booking, and experiences.
“Travel has always been about movement, but the next 20 years will be about meaning,” said Siew Hoon Yeoh, founder of Web in Travel. “At WiT Seoul, we’ll ask hard questions about how technology and human creativity can work together to redefine travel, and we’ll showcase the leaders already building that future.”
WiT Seoul’s speaker line‑up reflects the breadth of transformation underway. Delegates will hear from leaders at Google, eTraveli, Agoda, Trip.com, The Connoisseur Hotel, Wego, Booking.com, Klook and many more. They will debate the forces shaping the next era of travel – from loyalty reinvention to the rise of experiences as the soul of tourism.
Seoul: Asia’s rising travel hub
With South Korea the second largest outbound market in Asia Pacific, after China, Seoul provides the perfect backdrop for these conversations, having welcomed 16.36 million international visitors in 2024 – a 48% increase from 2023, nearly matching its pre‑pandemic peak. Tourism spending surged to US$8.6 billion, (₩9.26 trillion South Korean Won) a 33.8% jump year‑on‑year, with Seoul capturing two‑thirds of all foreign visitor spending.
South Korea’s tourism sector contributed ₩84.71 trillion to its GDP in 2023, creating 76,600 new jobs and raising total employment in the sector to 1.34 million. With Asia Pacific projected to generate US$305 billion in tourism revenue in 2025, Seoul’s role as a hub for airlines, OTAs, and tech innovators makes it the ideal stage for WiT’s conversations about the future.
WiT Seoul takes place at the Fairmont Ambassador Seoul.