Alipay has continued its efforts across the globe, with a focus on tourism in Asia; through partnerships with the Korea Easy Payment Foundation and Jeju Tourism Organization in South Korea, as well as the Huangshan Tourism Group in China.
Alipay+ has signed a business agreement with the Korea Easy Payment Foundation (KEPF) and Jeju Tourism Organization (JTO). The partnership aims to enhance the travel experience for international visitors exploring the island destination of Jeju by providing convenient digital payment services and exclusive offers and contributing to boosting the local economy.
Through the agreement, users of 11 Alipay+ partner e-wallets including Alipay from the Chinese mainland, AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR, China), MPay (Macao SAR, China), TrueMoney (Thailand), Touch ‘n Go eWallet (Malaysia), OCBC Digital (Singapore), Tinaba (Italy) will able to enjoy exclusive offers of up to 50 per cent off at ZeroPay merchants across Jeju Island by scanning the ZeroPay QR code at the merchant’s counter with their home e-wallet apps.
According to the Jeju Tourism Organization, 377,734 foreign tourists visited Jeju between January and March this year, up 532.5 per cent from 58,609 during the same period last year.
It is also the first time since February 2020 that the number of foreign tourists to Jeju has exceeded 100,000 per month for three consecutive months. About 80 per cent of international travellers to Jeju came from China, followed by those from Taiwan, Singapore and Japan.
Alipay backs travel to Korea and China
Meanwhile, the Huangshan Tourism Group, has joined forces with Alipay, to launch the ‘International Visitor Friendly Scenic Spot’ initiative, which aims to enhance the travel experience of global visitors in China ahead of a major holiday in the country, the May Day holiday.
The initiative helps global travellers visiting Huangshan enjoy convenient payment options, including card, mobile payment and cash, as well as claim-tailored digital red packets to enjoy shopping discounts and check travel guides and tips in 16 languages.
Huangshan Tourism Group will also collaborate with Alipay to launch local Hui culture experience tours and activities for international tourists.
The news after China’s central bank, the People’s Bank of China, has been guiding banks and mobile payment companies to take measures to optimise payment experience for international visitors.
Recent data from Alipay shows that in March 2024, transaction volume by international tourists using Alipay in the Chinese mainland increased by nearly 10 times compared to that of last year and the number of transactions increased by eight times year-on-year.
Alipay enables international visitors to pay at tens of millions of merchants across China after downloading the app and linking an international credit or debit card from Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Discover, and Diners Club International.
Beyond providing a convenient and secure mobile payment service, Alipay collaborates with industry partners to offer global tourists various travel services to enhance their travel experience in China. These easy-to-access services include online translation, car-hailing, public transport, hotel booking, and train ticket booking, which are all available on the homepage of Alipay.
