Shoestring Travel

What Shoestring Travel does

Shoestring Travel (신발끈여행사) is a Seoul-based, privately held tour operator founded in 1991 that designs and operates adventure, trekking, and expedition travel for Korean outbound travelers. Its portfolio, marketed as '99 Different Holidays', spans guided group tours across Europe, South America, Africa, Asia, North America, Oceania, and polar regions, with typical group sizes of 12-14 (max 18) and all-inclusive pricing denominated in Korean Won. The company sells direct-to-consumer via its website shoestring.kr, phone consultation, and KakaoTalk Plus Friend channel, and holds the sector-specific Korean travel-agency guarantee insurances required for licensed operators.

Since the mid-2020s, Shoestring Travel has expanded into a parallel self-guided travel offering through the selfguide.kr platform and the proprietary Shoestring Maps offline GPS navigation app, paired with trail baggage transfer and 24/7 emergency support services. An AI-powered chatbot on the website and KakaoTalk provides Korean-language natural-language consultation across the full product set. The business remains founder-led (CEO Jang Young-bok), self-funded with no disclosed external capital, and operates as a verticalized tour operator rather than a reseller, with long-standing local partner relationships in more than 28 destination countries.

Name

Shoestring Travel

Legal name

신발끈여행사

Website

https://shoestring.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Shoestring Travel (신발끈여행사) is a Seoul-based, privately held tour operator founded in 1991 that designs and sells guided trekking, expedition, and self-guided adventure travel packages to Korean outbound travelers across 99 itineraries spanning all continents including polar regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adventure Travel & Trekking Tour Operator

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Outdoor Guiding Services (Hiking, Trekking, Mountaineering) (THAAALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Package Tour Wholesalers (Pre-Packaged FIT/Group Programs) (THAKAJAC), Outdoor Clothing & Footwear Retail (Camping/Hiking/Climbing) (CRAMAMAK)

Keywords

• Adventure travel tours
• Guided trekking tours
• Self-guided hiking tours
• Expedition travel packages
• Korean outbound travel

Headquarters

HQ city

Mapo

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Group Tour Packages: Traditional guided group tours with Korean-speaking tour leaders and local guides, covering destinations across Europe, South America, Africa, Antarctica, Arctic, and Asia. Includes guided trekking, expedition, and classic tours with all-inclusive pricing.
2. Self-Guided Tours: GPS-based digital guide tours without tour leaders or guides. Customers travel independently using the Shoestring Maps app and baggage transfer services. Covers trekking trails like Tour du Mont Blanc, Via Francigena, Camino de Santiago, and more.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Shoestring Travel is a South Korean adventure travel tour operator that designs and sells group trekking and expedition tour packages to destinations worldwide (South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, Oceania, Antarctic/Arctic) under its "99 Different Holidays" portfolio. It operates two main service models: guided group tours with Korean tour leaders and self-guided tours supported by its proprietary Shoestring Maps GPS navigation app, baggage transfer, and 24/7 emergency support. Packages are sold directly to Korean consumers through its website, phone consultation, and KakaoTalk channel.

Product overview

Shoestring Travel operates as a tour operator specializing in trekking and adventure travel, offering two primary service models: traditional guided group tours with Korean tour leaders (인솔가이드 동행) and GPS-based self-guided tours (셀프 가이드). The guided tour portfolio branded as '99 Different Holidays' encompasses 99 curated packages across trekking, rail, wildlife, classic, and expedition categories spanning all continents including polar regions. Self-guided tours leverage the proprietary Shoestring Maps app for offline GPS navigation, complemented by trail baggage transfer and 24/7 emergency support services. An AI chatbot provides natural language travel consultation. The company operates as a direct tour operator designing and managing itineraries in-house, with pricing that separates airfare from tour costs and emphasizes transparent pricing with no hidden fees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• selfguide.kr: Korea's first self-guided travel platform offering GPS-based digital guides for independent travelers.
• 신발끈맵스 (Shoestring Maps)

Products and services

• Guided Tours (인솔가이드 동행) Traditional guided group tour packages with Korean-speaking tour leaders accompanying groups to destinations worldwide including South America, Africa, Patagonia, Europe, and polar regions. Features small group sizes (average 12-14 people, max 18), locally operated itineraries, and pre-arranged accommodations and meals. Targeted at Korean individual travelers seeking adventure and trekking experiences.
• Self-Guided Tours (셀프가이드) GPS-based self-guided travel packages that allow travelers to explore international trekking trails at their own pace without tour guides. Includes the Shoestring Maps digital navigation app, trail baggage transfer service, 24/7 emergency support, and local transport-based itineraries. Marketed at approximately half the price of guided tours with "no tips, no options" pricing. Covers trails such as Tour du Mont Blanc, Via Francigena, Camino de Santiago, and West Highland Way.
• Shoestring Maps (신발끈 맵스) Offline trail navigation mobile application providing GPS-based digital guidance for self-guided travelers. Features trail-specific routes, real-time distance and elevation information, and schedule-synced GPS navigation. Operates 24/7 as a zero-cost digital guide replacing traditional human guides for self-guided tour customers.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Yanolja (야놀자): Major Korean travel super-app that has expanded into outbound tour packages and experiences. Comparable as a Korean D2C travel distribution channel, but with a much broader accommodation-led portfolio rather than adventure specialization.
• Hana Tour (Hana Tour Service): Largest Korean outbound tour operator offering broad package travel including adventure and trekking products. Comparable on the Korean customer base and D2C distribution, but operates at much larger scale across all travel categories.

Direct peers

• G Adventures: Small-group adventure travel operator with global trekking and expedition itineraries including polar regions. Direct competitor in the adventure-operator product category, with overlapping portfolio (Patagonia, Africa, Tibet) and similar small-group philosophy.
• Adventure Life: Small-group adventure operator with portfolio of trekking, cultural, and expedition cruises across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Comparable in niche adventure focus and small-group sizing, though US-anchored.
• Intrepid Travel: Globally focused adventure tour operator offering small-group trekking and expedition tours across all continents. Most directly comparable to Shoestring's guided tour business in product mix, group sizing, and sustainable positioning, though at much larger scale.
• KE Adventure Travel: UK-based adventure tour operator specializing in trekking, mountaineering, and expeditions including Everest Base Camp and Patagonia. Closely comparable specialist positioning to Shoestring's trekking and expedition core.
• REI Adventures: Outdoor retailer co-op's tour arm offering guided trekking trips worldwide. Comparable in adventure product breadth and sustainability orientation, though US-anchored rather than Korean-focused.

Emerging players

• Komoot: GPS-based route planning and navigation platform for hiking and cycling. Most directly comparable to the Shoestring Maps self-guided technology layer, though Komoot is route/community-driven rather than tour-package-driven.
• Selfguide (Global Context): European self-guided walking tour operator with baggage transfer and navigation support. Closely comparable to Shoestring's self-guided product model (Tour du Mont Blanc, Camino, Via Francigena) and pricing structure.

Regional players

• Very Good Tour (verygoodtour): Korean specialty tour operator focused on adventure and experiential travel. Comparable Korean-market niche operator with similar D2C online positioning, though with smaller adventure product depth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/shoestringtravel
• Instagraminstagram.com/shoestring.kr
• Xx.com/shoestringtour

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Shoestring Travel