Yellow Balloon

What Yellow Balloon does

Yellow Balloon (노랑풍선, legal entity (주)노랑풍선) is a South Korean outbound and domestic travel agency incorporated in 2001 and headquartered in Seoul, with a regional branch in Busan. The company sells a 12-category travel product portfolio including overseas package tours (Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan, China/Mongolia, Taiwan/Hong Kong/Macau, Australia/New Zealand, Guam/Saipan, Americas, Central Asia/Caucasus), air + hotel bundles, honeymoon packages, golf tours, theme and cruise tours, a premium tier, and domestic Korea travel, alongside ancillary services such as individual airline ticketing, hotel reservation, attraction tickets, and KTX/rental car booking. The product is delivered through a multi-channel platform: the ybtour.co.kr consumer website with dedicated sub-sites for air (fly.ybtour.co.kr), FIT/hotel (fit.ybtour.co.kr), and corporate travel (pkg.ybtour.co.kr), supported by a call-center network of more than 20 destination-segmented inbound phone lines, a Busan branch, and a nationwide agent and reseller network. Distribution is augmented by social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, KakaoTalk, and Naver Blog, plus promotional partnerships with home shopping and Samsung Card.

The business is primarily B2C, targeting Korean individual travelers (family vacations, couples, group tours, individual travel) and monetizes via transaction fees and commissions on packaged tours, air tickets, hotel bookings, and tour/ticket sales; dedicated niche lines target filial-travel (children gifting to parents), honeymooners, and Korean golfers seeking international packages. Yellow Balloon is publicly identified as one of Korea's major travel agencies alongside Hana Tour and Mode Tour, and is KOSDAQ-listed under (주)노랑풍선, with founder Kim Jin-guk (김진국) serving as Representative Director. The company holds several government-level recognitions, including CCM Hall of Fame, Prime Minister's Commendation for Consumer-Centered Management, Fair Trade Commission Commendation, and ISMS information security certification, positioning it as an established, brand-led incumbent in the Korean outbound travel market rather than a technology-native disruptor.

Name

Yellow Balloon

Legal name

(주)노랑풍선

Website

https://ybtour.co.kr

Company type

Public

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Yellow Balloon is a KOSDAQ-listed South Korean travel agency selling outbound and domestic package tours, air tickets, hotels, honeymoon, golf, and cruise products to Korean individual consumers via its ybtour.co.kr platform, call centers, and nationwide agent network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Jungang

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Package Tour Sales: Revenue generated from sales of packaged travel products including overseas packages, domestic tours, honeymoons, golf packages, cruise packages, and themed tours. The company acts as a travel agency arranging flights, accommodations, transportation, and guided tours.
2. Air Ticket Sales: Commission revenue from sale of individual airline tickets through the platform
3. Hotel and Accommodation Booking: Revenue from hotel booking services and commissions
4. Tour Tickets and Transportation: Revenue from sale of tour tickets, KTX rail tickets, and rental car services

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Yellow Balloon is a South Korean travel agency that arranges and sells packaged outbound and domestic tours to Korean consumers, along with individual travel components such as airline tickets, hotel reservations, tours & attraction tickets, and KTX rail/rental car services. The company organizes products by theme (honeymoon, golf, cruise, premium, filial piety) and by destination across Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan, China/Mongolia, the Americas, Oceania, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Sales are fulfilled through direct consumer channels including its website, phone consultation centers, branch offices, and a nationwide agent/reseller network.

Product overview

Yellow Balloon (노랑풍선) is a comprehensive South Korean travel agency offering a multi-category portfolio of travel products. The core offering consists of overseas package tours organized by regional destinations, supplemented by air + hotel (에어텔) booking services, honeymoon packages, golf tours, and themed travel/cruise options. Additional services include premium-tier packages, domestic travel within Korea, and ancillary services such as individual airline ticketing, hotel reservations, tours & tickets, and KTX/rental car booking. The company also serves corporate and group travel needs. The main website at ybtour.co.kr serves as the primary booking platform, with sub-brands and specialized services accessible through themed URLs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Overseas Package Tours (해외패키지) International travel package tours organized by region covering Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan, China/Mongolia, Taiwan/Hong Kong/Macau, Australia/New Zealand, Guam/Saipan, Americas/Canada/Hawaii, Central Asia/Caucasus, and cruise packages, bundling flights, accommodation, transportation, guided tours, and meals for Korean consumers.
• Air + Hotel (에어텔) Flight + hotel combined booking service for international destinations including Japan, Southeast Asia, China/Taiwan/Hong Kong, Guam/Saipan, Europe, Americas/Australia, and Club Med resorts, enabling Korean consumers to assemble flexible FIT (free individual travel) arrangements.
• Honeymoon Packages (허니문) Romantic honeymoon travel packages to destinations including Bali, Phuket, Khao Lak, Koh Samui, Maldives, Hawaii, Cancun, Guam/Saipan, Vietnam, Mauritius, Australia, Fiji/Tahiti/Seychelles, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Spain/Portugal, targeting newlyweds and couples.
• Golf Tours (골프) International golf travel packages to Japan, China/Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Laos, Indonesia, Guam/Saipan/Hawaii/Americas, Turkey, and domestic Korea, bundling tee times, accommodation, transport, and guides for Korean golfers.
• Theme/Cruise Packages (테마/크루즈) Themed travel and cruise packages including special experiences, culture/history/arts tours, run trips/trekking, pet-friendly travel, wellness/culinary tours, pilgrimage tours, and cruise options to various global destinations.
• Premium Tier Packages (프리미엄) Premium-tier travel packages across Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan, China/Mongolia, Taiwan/Hong Kong/Macau, Australia/New Zealand, Guam/Saipan, Americas/Latin America, domestic Korea, Busan departure, and golf, featuring no-tip/no-option/no-shopping itineraries, VIP limousine transport, five-star accommodations, and premium business-class flight options.
• Domestic Travel (국내여행) Domestic travel within Korea including Jeju Island packages, inland/island destinations (Gangwon, Busan/Gyeongsang, Seoul/Gyeonggi, Jeolla, Chungcheong, Ulleungdo, Hongdo/Baengnyeongdo/Geomundo), and Yellow Lounge city tours in Seoul, Gyeonggi/Incheon, and Gangneung/Gyeongju/Gwangju.
• Airline Ticketing (항공) Individual airline ticket booking service for international flights accessible via the fly.ybtour.co.kr portal, including discounted airfare options for Korean consumers.
• Hotel Booking (호텔) Hotel reservation service for international and domestic destinations, accessible through the fit.ybtour.co.kr hotel portal, generating commission-based revenue.
• Tours & Tickets (투어&티켓) Individual tour and attraction ticket booking service for Korean consumers, allowing standalone purchase of sightseeing tickets and tour experiences.
• KTX/Rental Car (KTX/렌터카) Domestic Korea Train Express (KTX) booking and rental car services for travelers arranging ground transportation within Korea.
• Corporate/Group Travel (기업/단체) Corporate and group travel booking services for Korean businesses and organized groups, covering business trips, incentive travel, and custom group itineraries with centralized billing and dedicated account handling.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Tourism Associations and Industry BodiesminorOthersYellow Balloon participates in industry associations including the Korean Tour Operators Association and follows Korea Tourism Association guidelines. They are listed as a participant in the National Foreign Tour Product Information Standard initiative (국외여행상품 정보제공 표준안 참여 여행사).

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hana Tour Service: South Korea's largest outbound travel agency; directly comparable as a domestic competitor offering packaged tours, air tickets, and hotels to Korean consumers, and explicitly cited alongside Yellow Balloon in coverage of Middle East travel disruptions.
• Mode Tour (Modetour): Major Korean travel agency with overseas package, free individual travel, and golf/honeymoon segments; competes head-to-head with Yellow Balloon in the same Korean B2C packaged tour category.
• T'way Tour: Korean tour operator integrated with budget airline T'way Air; comparable model combining package tours with FIT (free independent traveler) air-hotel products serving the same Korean outbound market.
• Interpark Tour (인터파크투어): Korean online travel agency spun out of Interpark; comparable as a domestic competitor combining packaged tours with FIT air-hotel products for Korean consumers in the same price tier as Yellow Balloon.

Emerging players

• MyRealTrip (마이리얼트립): Leading Korean online travel platform combining OTA-style booking with packages; partial overlap as it increasingly competes with traditional agencies like Yellow Balloon for outbound Korean travelers, particularly millennial/digital-native segments.
• Klook: Asia-focused activities and tours platform with strong Korean outbound user base; competes with Yellow Balloon's tour/ticket add-on services and is increasingly moving upstream into bundled experiences in destinations served by Yellow Balloon packages.
• KKday: Taiwan-headquartered activities and experience booking platform with significant Korean market share; overlaps with Yellow Balloon's tours-and-tickets line and individual destination activities in Asia.

Broad incumbents

• Trip.com Group: Global OTA operating Ctrip, Trip.com, and Skyscanner; comparable as a multi-product travel platform competing for Korean outbound travelers through flight, hotel, and packaged product offerings.
• Booking Holdings: Owns Booking.com, Agoda, KAYAK; competes with Yellow Balloon on hotel and flight booking components of its FIT business and packages; relevant peer given the company's reliance on commission revenue from accommodation and ticketing.
• Expedia Group: Global OTA group including Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo; large incumbent comparable to Yellow Balloon's air/hotel/tour booking services for outbound Korean consumers, particularly on package-style bundles via Expedia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ybtour2013
• Facebookfacebook.com/yellowballoonofficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/yellowballoon_official

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Yellow Balloon