--- title: "Travel Sales: Not B2C or B2B, but A2A?" description: "After the government designated temporary public holidays, domestic travel participation actually dropped 7%p, according to Consumer Insight. Average per-person spending intent for domestic trips fell a staggering 34%p year-over-year." published: 2025-03-06T00:00:00+00:00 author: "ONDA 편집팀" category: "Weekly ON" image: "https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/67e14dd32df1d7e15ffb74df_WeeklyON_vol148_webflow_cover_1200px.png" canonical: https://global.onda.me/en/blog?slug=weeklyon-vol-148 locale: en --- # Travel Sales: Not B2C or B2B, but A2A? ⚠️ All rights reserved. Cite this piece as 'ONDA (온다)' when quoting. --- #### **In this Weekly ON** 🏨 Not B2B or B2C — A2A? 💡 China drops visa requirement for group tourists ⌨️ #TravelAIAgents #JejuTourismSlump #SOTACollection #May2HolidayDebate #NationalDogTravelMap --- **🏠 Industry Deep Dive** ### **Travel Sales: Not B2C or B2B, but A2A?** ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/67dd57da7aa8ffc5b48d98a6_KakaoTalk_20250321_142043752.png) Seen the video above yet? It went viral for good reason. At ElevenLabs' London hackathon, developers Boris Stakhov and Anton Pidkuyko built 'GibberLink' — an AI-to-AI communication protocol. The protocol lets AI agents recognize each other and switch from human language to a far more efficient audio-wave-based data stream. **\*AI Agent:** An autonomous artificial intelligence system that perceives its environment, makes independent decisions, and takes action to achieve specific goals. Think virtual assistants, self-driving cars, and chatbots — they interact with users or other systems, learning and improving through experience. The demo shows a **hotel booking AI and a hotel system AI identifying each other, then communicating via modem-like digital signals**. The method proved **80% more efficient than human language — and error-free**. AI agents booking hotels for us? It's unsettling. But it's also a clear signal: AI and travel are becoming inseparable. Another case in point: OpenAI's 'Operator' partnering with Yanolja. When Operator launched officially in Korea, it teamed up with Yanolja. Operator browses the web on your behalf — clicking, typing, scrolling — and automatically handles flight and accommodation bookings. Yanolja is also developing its own AI agent to deliver fully automated booking services based on weather, location, dates, and user preferences. Beyond Yanolja, many travel recommendation engines already run on AI. These two examples signal more than incremental innovation. **We're entering a new paradigm: the 'AI Agent to AI Agent (A2A) Economy.'** What does the **A2A era** mean for the travel industry? ### 👉[****](https://www.onda.me/blog/yeohaeng-sangpum-panmae-b2c-b2bga-anin-a2aragoyo?utm_source=stibee&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter-2025_03_24) --- **💡 Hospitality Trends** ### **'Big Spenders' Are Back: China to Waive Visas for Group Tourists in Q3** [**👉\[Full story\]**](http://wowtv.co.kr/NewsCenter/News/Read?articleId=202503207659g&t=RS) **TL;DR:** China's group tourists (youke) will be allowed visa-free entry starting Q3 this year. **The story:** The government plans to **temporarily waive visa requirements for Chinese group tourists starting in Q3**. This marks the first large-scale visa waiver for Chinese nationals since the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Inbound tourism is a top-10 export sector. **Spending by 12 inbound tourists equals the export value of one car.** This year's target: 18.5 million arrivals. Last year, Korea welcomed 16.37 million foreign visitors — up 48.4% YoY and 93.5% recovered to pre-COVID levels. The government will **segment China and Japan (which together account for 47.8% of arrivals) to unlock new demand**. Next month, it will announce a visa waiver plan for Chinese group tourists recruited by designated travel agencies. After feedback, implementation begins in Q3. Strategy: target tier-1 Chinese cities for Gen Z/Millennial FITs; attract group tourists from tier-2/3 cities with themed packages. The Bank of Korea estimates that **1 million more Chinese group tourists add 0.08%p to GDP growth.** For Japan: expand beyond the core 20–30-something female segment to men and older travelers. Diversify marketing beyond shopping/food/beauty. In November, APEC Summit in Gyeongju will spotlight Gyeongbuk tourism, and local festivals will be packaged into inbound products to revitalize regional destinations. --- **⌨️ Keyword News** **1️⃣ Travel AI Agents** [👉\[Full story\]](https://news.mt.co.kr/mtview.php?no=2025031909244782725) **TL;DR:** Hana Tour launches industry's first multi-AI agent service. **The story:** Hana Tour consolidated its existing AI chatbot, travel-info AI, and other tools into 'H-AI,' a unified multi-AI agent platform — an industry first. Even without direct prompts, H-AI analyzes user interests and recently viewed products to recommend itineraries and packages, enabling faster, more accurate personalized consulting. **2️⃣ Jeju Tourism Decline** [👉\[Full story\]](https://www.news1.kr/industry/hotel-tourism/5721702) **TL;DR:** Both domestic and international arrivals to Jeju are dropping. **The story:** From March 1–16 this year, cumulative arrivals to Jeju totaled 435,798 — down 14.3% YoY. Domestic visitors fell 15.4% to 372,816; international visitors fell 7.6% to 62,982. Compared to pre-COVID 2019, arrivals are down 26.1%. **3️⃣ SOTA Collection** [👉\[Full story\]](https://news.mt.co.kr/mtview.php?no=2025031710412567356) **TL;DR:** Busan's Seomyeon district gets a smart-tech hotel. **The story:** SOTA Suite Busan Seomyeon Hotel officially opens in Seomyeon, Busan's commercial heart. The hotel blends cutting-edge smart tech with artistic sensibility, delivering spaces and services that break the conventional hotel mold. **4️⃣ Temporary Public Holiday Debate** [👉\[Full story\]](https://magazine.hankyung.com/business/article/202503207953b) **TL;DR:** Should May 2 be designated a public holiday? **The story:** If May 2 becomes a temporary holiday, it creates a six-day 'golden week' including May 1 (Labor Day). But critics warn it will only boost outbound travel, shrinking the domestic travel market. **5️⃣ National Dog Travel Map** [👉\[Full story\]](https://www.sukbakmagazine.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=63855) **TL;DR:** Travel with your dog: 10 spring destinations. **The story:** Korea Tourism Organization teamed up with Kakao Mobility to release a 'Dog Travel Map' for International Dog Day, featuring 10 pet-friendly spring destinations. Available on the 'Visit Korea' platform, KakaoT, and Kakao Navi. ---