With the blessing of global events such as the Olympic Games and the rise of the "China Travel" craze, cross-border travel will heat up in both directions this summer. From now on, Alipay, together with the Tourism Administration of Thailand, the Paris Tourism Board, the Hong Kong Tourism Board and other tourism bureaus and millions of merchants around the world, will work together to "increase" the summer offers for cross-border travel and upgrade the summer service for cross-border travel. Alipay and Alipay+ services make the cross-border travel experience smoother and more convenient, whether Chinese tourists go out or inbound tourists walk in, they can be connected to local merchants of all sizes. With enough "one app to travel the world", you can now save more time, effort and money.
In order to welcome Chinese tourists arriving in the summer, street shops in Japan spontaneously advertised that Alipay was welcome
Do a money-saving strategy before you go, Alipay unlocks summer offers with one click
This summer, the proportion of "walk-and-go trips" is increasing. According to the "2023-2024 Cross-border Tourism Consumption Trend Research Report" newly released by the World Tourism Alliance and Ant Group, with the release of travel demand and the resumption of international flights, the proportion of users who book tickets for outbound short-haul and long-haul trips 30 days or more in advance has dropped by more than 7% on average.
In order to meet the strong demand of Chinese people for outbound travel during the summer vacation, Alipay has joined forces with millions of merchants around the world to tailor pre-trip and in-trip double discounts for Chinese tourists. For example, before leaving, you can buy a "Global Travel Card" worth 1,000 yuan for 2.8 yuan, and you can return to the cost of a single order such as consumption discounts, travel discounts, and free traffic; If you buy an international air ticket, you can also draw up to 1,000 yuan of "international air ticket discount coupons". After arriving at the destination, spend less than 10 yuan to buy a "Destination Savings Pass", and you can get a special discount launched by overseas merchants and Alipay. For example, in Japan, a popular summer destination, buy a "Japan Money Pass" service for 8.8 yuan on Alipay, and you can get a destination coupon worth 191 yuan with one click, and "Foot Wool" can get multiple discounts and multiple discounts.
At Universal Studios Osaka, Alipay has become the only Chinese QR code payment method to welcome Chinese tourists
"As long as Chinese tourists take out their mobile phones and display QR codes, our cashiers will understand them in seconds," said Kitagawa, head of overseas marketing sales at Universal Studios Japan, adding that Alipay is the only Chinese QR payment tool in the park. At present, Chinese tourists go to Universal Studios Osaka to buy tickets, shop, borrow shared power banks, and even use Alipay to scan the QR code on their mobile phones in restaurants.
Since 2019, Parco, a trendy department store in Japan, has been able to use Alipay in 16 stores. At Parco Department Store in Osaka's Shinsaibashi business district, Hiroshi Yamaguchi, head of the sales section, said: "The number of visits from foreign customers has surpassed that of Japan customers, contributing more than 30% of sales, and 60% of foreign customers are from China. In the summer, Chinese tourists can not only get full discount coupons on Alipay, but also get food and beverage coupons at the same time as real-time tax refund.
16 stores of Parco, a trendy department store in Japan, can use Alipay, and in the summer, there are not only full discounts, but also meal coupons
As one of the most popular international airports for Chinese tourists, 100% of merchants at Kansai Airport can use Alipay. Yuji Mori, head of commercial facilities at Kansai Airport, said: At present, flights from Kansai Airport to China have recovered to 60% of the pre-epidemic level, and in order to serve Chinese tourists well, 60 staff members at the airport can speak Chinese; At the same time, as the first Japan airport to support Alipay, it has also launched a lot of discounts for Chinese tourists in the summer.
At present, in popular outbound travel destinations such as Japan, South Korea, and Europe, Alipay can unlock a variety of travel services and discounts. In addition to one-click taxis, you can also book intercity train tickets, reserve bus tickets, and even use shared bicycles and cars. In Korea, the Jeju Island government linked Alipay in the summer to promote bus scanning code payment exclusive discounts, from August 1, Chinese mainland tourists to Jeju Island can use Alipay to scan the code to take the bus, no need to exchange cash or buy physical cards in advance, you can take more than 840 routes of buses throughout Jeju Island, including ordinary buses, express buses, airport buses, etc., the month with Alipay to scan the body QR code can also receive a 5% discount, can be reduced by up to 5 yuan.
In the past, transportation was a pain point in outbound travel, but now Chinese tourists can travel around the world with Alipay
Tourism bureaus in many places join hands with Ant to promote exclusive offers for the Olympic Games and popular destinations
In response to the boom in the cross-border travel market, tourism boards and merchants in many popular destinations around the world have launched attractive services and offers, from Paris to Bangkok, from Hong Kong to Jeju Island, Singapore and other places, tourism practitioners have joined the global tourist battle with great enthusiasm and creativity.
"By partnering with Alipay+, we are able to improve our ability to serve Asian tourists. A convenient and efficient payment experience will ensure that their trip to Paris is hassle-free", says Corinne Menegaux, General Manager · Paris Tourism. In the countdown to the opening of the Paris Olympic Games, in order to welcome the upcoming large number of tourists, the Paris Tourism Board has joined hands with Ant Group's innovative Alipay+ cross-border service, so that Chinese tourists and other Asian tourists can search for "Hui Exit" on Alipay, and they can find the Paris city page to learn about the practical strategies of the Olympic Games, and can also pay with Alipay+ on the official website of the Paris Tourism Board and enjoy the Olympic discount code. Currently in Paris, whether it's coming out of the airport to hail a G7 taxi, or booking a European train ticket; Whether it's buying snacks at vending machines or shopping at popular malls such as Paris Printemp and Galeries Lafayette, Chinese tourists can use Alipay's "one mobile phone" to book appointments and receive discounts.
From the European Cup to the Olympic Games, summer European tours attract Chinese tourists, and local businesses use Alipay to attract Chinese tourists
In Thailand, boosting tourism through digital innovation has been a top priority for local development. This summer, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Alipay+ launched the world's first customizable travel mini-program Alipay+ D-hub, launched by the National Tourism Administration, covering popular destination guides and recommending local merchants, making it easier for Chinese and other Asian tourists to "visit Thailand on one mobile phone".
Currently, more than 400,000 merchants in Thailand can accept Alipay and Alipay+ services. During the May Day period, Chinese mainland tourists used Alipay to visit Thailand, and the transaction volume increased by 161% year-on-year in 2023, exceeding the level before 2019. In addition to the 66 yuan discount red envelope, there are also 7% off popular restaurants, 20% off shopping, 9% off tickets, and a universal Thailand card for general tours, so you can save on eating, drinking and having fun.Thailand Thailand
The "Magic Thailand Card" on Alipay, also known as the "Smile Thailand Card", Chinese tourists can enjoy discounts on one card in Thailand in the summer
In the first four months of 2024, Thailand welcomed a record 12.12 million overseas tourists, of which 2.35 million were from China (mainland China). "The digital innovation partnership with Alipay+ will attract more Asian tourists to Thailand and increase tourism consumer satisfaction. Kunjara Na Ayudhya, Deputy Director General of International Marketing at the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said that the rapid growth in transaction volume brought by Alipay+ has helped small cities and SMEs a lot, helping to further enhance Thailand's tourism industry.
It is expected that more Mainland tourists will visit Hong Kong and Macao in the summer. To this end, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and Alipay have launched the "Fun in the Summer" summer offer. Hong Kong's tourism industry has prepared a "summer triple gift" for mainland tourists, including sightseeing, transportation, catering, and retail, as well as a variety of wonderful performances such as the world's large-scale Doraemon exhibition and the Hong Kong Animation and Video Game Festival. On Alipay, you can not only enjoy exchange rate concessions such as the black diamond exchange rate, but also receive transportation and merchant consumption discounts, and you can also get up to 888 yuan for "more orders and more discounts". In addition, mainland tourists who go to Macau in the summer can also use Alipay to get a discount of up to 888 yuan, 85% discount coupons and black diamond exchange rate discounts at many merchants, and a cash gift package of up to 1,280 yuan back at popular resorts.
Mainland tourists are welcome in the summer, and the Hong Kong Retail Consortium has also joined hands with Alipay to launch the "Happy Shopping Festival", with more experiences and discounts
Diversified inbound tourism services More than 140 mini programs are convenient for global tourists
Safe and convenient payment, diversified offers and intimate and authentic services can make cross-border travel more in-depth. In order to welcome the peak of cross-border travel in the summer and encourage inbound tourists to experience China in depth, Alipay+ cross-border services have been further upgraded, and a total of more than 140 cross-border service mini programs have been launched in overseas wallets such as AlipayHK (Hong Kong, China), Mpay (Macau, China), and Touch 'n Go eWallet (Malaysia).
Overseas wallet users can use the e-wallets commonly used on their mobile phones to more fully experience food, transportation, phone bill recharge, shared charging treasure, scenic spot services and other aspects in Chinese mainland, making their "China Travel" more "City", whether it is tasting Nai Xue's tea, making up hot pot, Haidilao, or using Gaode to take a taxi, or going to the national "Hot Snow Miracle" indoor ski resort, Shenzhen Wild Animal Park and other popular scenic spots.
At present, inbound tourists coming to China can use Alipay or 12 overseas e-wallets with Alipay+ services
Not only that, overseas guests can also use their mobile phones to receive discounts and "wool" like Chinese people. This summer, users of AlipayHK (Hong Kong), Mpay (Macau), Touch 'n Go eWallet (Malaysia), TrueMoney (Thailand) and other overseas e-wallets will have 10 random discounts on 10 purchases when they come to Chinese mainland to scan the QR code for consumption, with a maximum discount of 188 yuan. Among them, Hong Kong people can also get a 5 yuan transportation coupon when they come to the mainland to use AlipayHK to go to Shenzhen Hema Fresh, China Resources Vanguard and other "Hong Kong people going north" to sweep the goods, and there is a lot of discounts.
Since 2022, Ant Group has joined forces with various partners to launch two sets of solutions, "Binding Foreign Cards to Overseas Cards" (downloading Alipay to tie overseas bank cards) and "Outsourcing and Internal Use" (allowing overseas wallets to scan and pay directly in China through the Alipay+ service), which are convenient for tens of millions of Chinese merchants to do business with global tourists without the need for machine modifications.