<Anchor> The
government issued 1.3 million accommodation discount coupons to support the accommodation industry suffering from COVID-19. However, when using a motel, the 1st and 2nd largest lodging platform companies could not use this coupon.
This is reporter Kim Jung-woo.
<Reporter> The
government issued 1.3 million lodging discount coupons worth 20,000 to 30,000 won that can be used for 50 days from the 9th.
You can use it freely when staying at a hotel, pension, or motel, but the number of discount coupons used in motels was significantly small.
This is because discount coupons cannot be used by the 1st and 2nd largest lodging platform companies that account for 90% of the market.
It is said that it is because of concerns about monopoly, but it has been pointed out that the effect of promoting consumption cannot be salvaged.
[Mr A/Motel owner: (with a discount coupon) It seems like 3 or 4 people came. Most people don't know. There is no such effect of increasing new demand.] Even in the
same motel, businesses classified as hotels in the app can use discount coupons, which even sparked a fairness controversy.
In the end, the government reversed the use of motel discount coupons through two large apps from next week.
The response from the lodging houses is chilly.
Even if it is a discount coupon, the same fee must be paid to the platform operator, and only lodging establishments with high exposure frequency will benefit more by paying a large advertising fee.
[Mr B/Motel owner: 'You've had an overnight stay, the number of guests will increase.' But the fee is still paying another 10%.
Only people who advertise expensive (guests) increase.
I can't help it, even though I know it's the poisoned holy grail.]
Instead of intervening with a platform company, the lodging industry workers agreed that they should introduce a method in which the credit card company pays for the accommodation and then the credit card company returns a portion of the amount.
(Video coverage: Cho Chun-dong, video editing: Park Jin-hoon)