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By Kim Se-jeong
Luggage can be a big headache during travel.
Especially when it is big and heavy, it is often awkward and limits travelers from last-minute sightseeing before leaving for home. However, foreign travelers in Seoul have little to worry about as SAFEX, a service provided by the tourism company itrip, caters to incoming travelers by taking care of their baggage at the beginning and end of their trips.
The service has been well-received and the city of Seoul Metropolitan Government selected itrip as a successful company with quality services for tourists.
Before entering the country, users should visit safex.kr to make an online reservation. Arriving at the Incheon International Airport, customers drop their bags at itrip's Travel Store next to the KTX gate and they will find them at their hotel by the end of the day.
The bags are sent to Seoul via the Airport Express (AREX) Line, and from there, itrip staff deliver them by car.
Customers can do the same for departure, leaving their bags at the hotel lobby and picking them up at the airport.
Service fees vary according to the size of the baggage, ranging from 14,000 won to 26,000 won, one way.
"We work with travelers in the field and this enables us to find their needs fast," said Lee Jun, CEO of itrip.
He doesn't provide the service for those who stay south of the Han River. "When we started, the service covered the entire Seoul. But we learned fast that most of our customers stay in the old center of Seoul."
The company also has a storage room at express train stations ― Seoul Station and Hongik University Station ― where customers can pay to store their bags. "It's perfect when you have the last couple of hours to enjoy in Seoul," Lee said, adding it also provides a long-term service.
Safex service is only one of the services itrip provides.
It runs a travel center at Incheon Airport and Hongik University Station offering concierge services to arriving tourists ― two new center will open soon at Incheon Airport and Gimpo International Airport.
Mr. Coat is a service for outbound travelers to keep their coats at the airport while they travel to warmer destinations and is very popular during the winter.
Recently, he also started a new baggage-wrapping service, which is available only at Seoul Station for 11,000 won or more.
Lee has several business competitors, but so far he is the winning party. His success is attributed to his longtime career in the tourism industry which enabled him to build a network and identify customer needs. For 21 years, he worked for a travel agency in charge of inbound tourists. Following that, he managed a hotel for four years.
"We are an online-to-offline platform business for those who travel Korea individually."
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