China's 2024 Labor Day Sees 77% Rise in Outbound Travel Transactions and 700% Surge in Inbound Spending YoY via Alipay
2024年5月5日 - 11:29PM
ビジネスワイヤ(英語)
- Outbound travel transactions via Alipay saw a 77% increase
year-on-year, with total spending up by 10%. Top destinations are
Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Macao SAR, Korea, the United States, and
Thailand.
- Inbound tourism witnessed a 700% spike year-on-year in Alipay
spending by international travelers in the Chinese mainland.
Alipay's data indicates a significant uptick in both outbound
and inbound tourism spending in China during the 2024 Labor Day
holiday.
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The salesperson welcomes Chinese
travelers to use Alipay for payment at Designer Outlet Roermond in
the Netherlands (Photo: Business Wire)
Outbound Tourism
Transactions by Alipay users in overseas markets during the
initial two days of the holiday saw a substantial 77% increase from
the corresponding period in 2023, with total spending rising by 10%
year-on-year.
For the 2024 Labor Day holiday, Alipay, an Alipay+ partner
wallet, has joined hands with global merchants to launch extensive
campaigns aimed at enticing Chinese tourists. Enabled by Alipay+, a
suite of cross-border digital payment and digitalization technology
solutions connecting global brands with mobile-savvy consumers
worldwide, Chinese travelers can seamlessly pay for a wide array of
services including shopping, dining, and entertainment at more than
8 million merchants across over 70 countries and regions. This
convenience is all accessible through the familiar interface of
their trusted Alipay app, eliminating the need to carry cash and
the hassle of currency exchange.
Short-haul destinations across Asia continued to attract huge
interest. Southeast Asia saw a 52% increase in spending by Alipay
users year on year. Notably, Thailand emerged as the top
destination in the region in terms of Alipay spending, while
Malaysia showed the most impressive 171% year-on-year increase. In
addition to these popular short-haul trips, Chinese travelers are
increasingly using the extended five-day holiday to venture further
afield. Long-haul destinations have gained traction, with North
America, Europe, and Australia becoming the preferred choices for
more exploratory and extended travels among Alipay users.
Specifically, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Macao SAR, Korea, the United
States, and Thailand stand out as top destinations for Chinese
travelers, drawing the most Alipay users. In April, Alipay+
facilitated users of 14 leading overseas mobile wallets and bank
apps from 9 countries and regions to make seamless payment in Hong
Kong from their home apps, enhancing the travel experience and
contributing to the region's tourism surge. Japan has risen to
prominence as an enticing and budget-friendly destination for
Chinese tourists, largely attributable to the yen's depreciation.
This economic advantage has been reflected in a substantial surge
in Alipay spending within the country, which saw an impressive
year-on-year growth of 164%.
Traveling with a lighter carbon footprint has become a new
fashion. Alipay has been adding more ways for its users to get
around overseas, like ride-hailing and public transport. In Hong
Kong, the number of transactions for public transport increased by
63% year-on-year.
Inbound Tourism
Over the Labor Day holiday, international travelers spent 700%
more year-on-year using their international card-enabled Alipay
accounts at merchants across the Chinese mainland. The number of
visitors using Alipay for payment from the 15 countries1 benefiting
from China's visa-free policy updates since mid-2023 increased by
over 4 times compared to last year.
In April, Huangshan Tourism Group partnered with Alipay to
launch “International Visitor Friendly Scenic Spot” ahead of the
Labor Day holiday. The initiative helps global travelers visiting
Huangshan enjoy convenient payment options, including card, mobile
payment and cash, as well as claiming tailored digital red packets
for shopping discounts and check travel guide and tips in 16
languages.
In addition to using Alipay, overseas consumers can also pay
with their home e-wallets across China, enabled by Alipay+. Since
September 2023, the Alipay+ solutions have supported 12 leading
e-wallets and payment apps in Asia to serve their roaming users
across Alipay’s 80-million-strong merchant network in China,
including AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR, China), Kaspi.kz (Kazakhstan),
MPay (Macao SAR, China), Touch 'n Go eWallet (Malaysia), Hipay
(Mongolia), NayaPay (Pakistan), Changi Pay (Singapore), OCBC
Digital (Singapore), Kakao Pay (South Korea), Naver Pay (South
Korea), Toss Pay (South Korea), TrueMoney (Thailand).
About Alipay
In the digital era, Alipay has evolved from a trusted payment
tool to an open platform that connects businesses, institutions,
service providers, and other partners with consumers. Alipay
enables partners from various industries to offer safe and
convenient payment options. It also enables partners to communicate
and deliver different digital services to their customers in China
through Alipay mini programs, lifestyle accounts and other tools.
The Alipay platform has connected over 80 million businesses with
more than one billion consumers.
About Alipay+
Alipay+ is a suite of cross-border mobile payment and
digitalization technology solutions that help connect global
merchants to consumers. Consumers enjoy seamless payment and a
broad choice of deals using their preferred payment methods while
travelling abroad. Small and medium-sized businesses may use
Alipay+ digital tools to enhance efficiency and achieve
omni-channel growth.
___________________________ 1 The 15 countries include France,
Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland,
Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Thailand,
Singapore, and Brunei.
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Media Inquiries Yinan Duan duanyinan.dyn@antgroup.com
Bell Wang yixing.wl@antgroup.com