What startups did Seoul choose for its temple stay and Eastern medicine tourism project?

Seoul selected Sweet & Data, Tobelist, and Trip Supporters. Sweet & Data will handle AI kiosks and media art, Tobelist will provide GPS-based audio guides, and Trip Supporters will build a booking platform for traditional Korean health therapies.

Why is Seoul adding AI to temple stays and Korean medicine tourism?

The city says foreign visitors often struggle with language barriers and complicated reservation systems when trying temple stays, meditation, temple food, and traditional medicine experiences. The technology is meant to make those heritage sites easier to access and more personalized.

When will Seoul test the new heritage tourism services and how much funding will they receive?

Field testing will begin in October at selected sites across Seoul. The city plans an interim review in late October, final evaluations in late November, and has set aside 100 million won for the program along with consulting and marketing support.

AI meets heritage to transform tourism experience in Seoul

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Summary

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has selected three startups to use AI and digital tools to modernize temple stays, Buddhist heritage, and Eastern medicine tourism in Seoul. The project targets foreign visitors who face language barriers and difficult reservation systems. Field testing will start in October at select sites, with a later review in late October and final evaluations in late November. The city will provide 100 million won in funding plus consulting and marketing support.

Key Facts

Three startups were selected from 78 applicants for the city-backed project.
Sweet & Data will provide generative AI kiosks and media art for Buddhist rituals and temple architecture.
Tobelist will offer GPS-enabled audio guides with automated translations for temple stay participants.
Trip Supporters will run an online-to-offline platform for Eastern medicine that uses AI to estimate treatment costs and streamline reservations.
The Seoul project is backed by 100 million won in municipal funding, with field testing set to begin in October.

By Jhoo Dong-chan

Published Sep 22, 2026 11:40 am KST

Foreign nationals sit in meditation during a templestay program at Mihwang Temple in Haenam, South Jeolla Province. Hankook Ilbo

In a leafy temple courtyard tucked away from the bustling avenues of Seoul, foreign travelers attempting to navigate the nuanced rituals of temple stays, meditation and traditional Eastern medicine may soon find an unlikely companion: generative artificial intelligence (AI).

Under a newly announced initiative from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Korea is deploying cutting-edge digital technologies to modernize its oldest cultural assets. Officials said Tuesday that three tech startups have been selected to pair advanced AI, location-based audio guides and automated booking platforms with traditional Korean wellness and Buddhist heritage sites.

The municipal project addresses a persistent hurdle for overseas visitors exploring Korean cultural heritage: steep language barriers and complex reservation systems.

While K-pop and Korean cinema have drawn record numbers of international tourists to the capital, foreign visitors frequently report difficulty navigating off-the-beaten-path experiences like temple stays, herbal medicine consultations and monastic cuisine.

To bridge this gap, city authorities partnered with two major cultural institutions: the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, which is the country's largest Buddhist sect, and the Seoul Korean Medicine Association. The initiative sparked significant interest, drawing 78 startup applicants competing for three partnership slots.

Among the winners, tech company Sweet & Data will roll out generative AI kiosks and media art solutions designed to deliver personalized, multilingual explanations of Buddhist rituals and temple architecture. Another startup, Tobelist, will implement GPS-enabled audio guide software that offers automated translations for temple stay participants.

Meanwhile, Trip Supporters will launch an online-to-offline platform catering to Eastern medicine. The system will use AI to calculate treatment cost estimates and streamline reservations for foreign patients seeking traditional Korean health therapies.

The trial reflects a broader strategic pivot by municipal officials.

Last year, the city sponsored similar partnerships with corporate giants like CJ CGV to launch luggage delivery services and cosmetic tour guides. The success of those programs convinced planners to apply tech solutions to historic and spiritual tourism assets.

"By combining our unique heritage assets like temples and Eastern medicine with startup technology, we expect to offer foreign tourists a differentiated experience found only in Seoul," said Cho Sung-ho, director of the city’s Tourism and Sports Bureau.

Field testing will begin in October at select sites across the capital, backed by 100 million won ($75,000) in municipal funding along with business development consulting and marketing assistance. City officials plan to review progress during an interim assessment in late October, with final performance evaluations scheduled for late November before expanding the services commercially.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

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