NAVER is expanding its overseas travel search service to major Asian cities after Japan, pairing essential trip information with recommendations tailored to users' tastes to make planning easier.
NAVER said on the 2nd that it has revamped local search results for 45 cities across six Asian countries and territories. The list covers major cities in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, along with Hong Kong and Macau, China's special administrative regions.
Searching for one of those countries or cities now brings up essential information at the top of the results page, including weather, exchange rates, visa requirements and recommended travel seasons. Users can also see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' comprehensive entry guidance and safety notices.
To let users dig deeper based on their travel plans and preferences, the company added a "Related Searches" section at the bottom of each travel information collection. Keyword buttons organized by theme — such as "Places to Visit," "Restaurants," "Travel Guides," "Things to Do," "Hotels," "When to Go" and "Recommended Itineraries" — lead to related content.
The content behind each button draws on photos and videos of destinations posted on NAVER Blog and Clip. Material produced by tourism boards and travel media outlets is also included, giving users a more in-depth look at each destination.
Another collection uses artificial intelligence to sift through travel content users have posted on blogs and online communities, selecting popular restaurants, trending attractions and theme parks. Tapping a place on the list opens "Overseas Place," where users can view details.
"The number of users searching for overseas travel information on NAVER keeps growing, which is why we strengthened our overseas place data and search experience," said Choi Ji-hoon, head of NAVER's Place search division. "On top of this overhaul of search for major Asian destinations, we plan to gradually expand the countries and cities we cover to the Americas."
