As we enter the Year of the Snake, merchants in China are hopeful about a successful Chinese New Year, with Alipay+ partnering with various establishments to ensure smooth and profitable transactions through special promotions.

Festive Travel

The holiday period is ideal for tourists visiting or traveling back to China. The government anticipates that there will be an impressive 510 million rail trips and 90 million air trips during the eight-day holiday period.

The country’s extensive digital payment landscape, where over 90% of the population uses mobile payments, underpins this activity. Alipay, supported by Alipay+, holds a significant share with more than 1.3 billion users and a market share of 55%. Its competitor WeChat Pay has 800 million users and a 38% market share.

Targeting Travelers

To leverage this, Alipay is targeting the travel sector by collaborating with over 100,000 stores, including major retailers and airport duty-free shops, to provide incentives and enhanced rewards for travelers. Additionally, special promotional packs are being offered in more than 100 Consumer Friendly Zones across China.

Alipay’s reach extends beyond its borders as well. A partnership with Macau Pass has been expanded to introduce Alipay Tap! to more areas of Macao. With an expected average of 185,000 daily visitors and a total of 39 million throughout the holiday period, the Macao Government Tourism Office is optimistic about these numbers.

Preparation for Tourism

To prepare for this surge in tourism, Alipay+ enables residents from several other countries to use their home nation’s payment apps within China. In 2023, Alipay welcomed 10 foreign-based mobile wallets, leading to a tenfold increase in usage by foreign tourists compared to the previous year and a sixfold increase in overall active users.

As travel is expected to grow further, a joint report by Ant International (the parent company of Alipay+) and IDC predicts that tourism spending across Southeast Asia will rise more than 330% by 2027.