According to the official statement, the average spending of Chinese tourists using Alipay saw a 24% increase during the first half of 2023, by comparison to the corresponding period from 2019. Therefore, the partnership comes to leverage the new trend in China’s outbound tourism.
More to this point, when commenting on the details that lead to the decision to broaden the payment and marketing partnership, a representative from Ant Group pointed out the company’s strategic shift towards catering to the new demands of tourists.
In light of the increased surge in travel popularity following the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a clear tendency towards providing services that enhance the travel experience for tourists.
The new trend has also influenced Alipay’s latest development, as the platform has been upgraded into a one-stop service provider that allows users access to new offerings such as calling for taxis or searching for accommodation whilst travelling. Alipay’s new offering is in line with the consumer demand for the adoption of digital services.
As outlined in the official statement, in the first half of 2023, Asian destinations continued to be the top choices for Chinese mainland tourists. Among the top outbound tourist attractions by transaction volume on Alipay were Hong Kong, Macao, Japan, and Thailand. Two other popular choices were South Korea and Singapore.
Another aspect that characterises Chinese tourism is the diversity of the destination most preferred. For instance, Chinese globetrotters have also visited long-haul travel spots such as France, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
As the dominant mobile payment platform in China, Alipay enables Chinese users to connect to more than 5 million merchants spanning over 70 international markets. To further promote travelling, the app will reportedly launch a series of campaigns created in collaboration with regional partners in a bid to capitalise on the revival of the travel industry. The campaigns include a diverse range of promotions for travel-related services, shopping, attractions, and transportation options.
Every day we send out a free e-mail with the most important headlines of the last 24 hours.
Subscribe now