ALIPAY
16.2.2024 12:55:32 CET | Business Wire | Press release
Data from Ant Group shows a robust rebound of consumer spending during the first back-to-normal Chinese New Year (CNY) travel season after the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in cross-border tourism.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240216321328/en/
Singapore's Yue Hwa Department Store welcomes tourists with banners showcasing acceptance of Alipay and other Alipay+ partner e-wallets (Photo: Business Wire)
Robust recovery, diversified destinations and scenarios for outbound Chinese tourists using Alipay
Through the Alipay+ cross-border mobile payment technology solutions, Chinese travelers may pay for goods, food and beverage, recreation and entertainment at over 8 million merchants in over 70 countries and regions, all from their familiar home app Alipay, with no need to change money or carry cash. Alipay also offers in-app instant tax refunds, as well as transparent and competitive exchange rates.
A global campaign has been in full swing on the Alipay+ merchant network since December 2023 to attract Chinese tourists. In the CNY holiday week between February 9th and 12th, the number of transactions made by Alipay users overseas surpassed that of 2019 by 7% while consumer spending recovered to 82% of the 2019 level, or 2.4 times of 2023.
Closer socio-economic connections between Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR and the Chinese Mainland, the new visa-free policies from major Southeast Asia destinations and recovering international flight capacities are key drivers of the cross-border travel boom. While traditional Asia favorites keep their enthusiastic following, more distant destinations in Europe, ANZ, the Middle East and North America are also picking up in Chinese traveler spending.
Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Macao SAR, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, France, Australia and Canada are the top destinations for Chinese travelers by their Alipay spending. Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore combined saw a 7.5% increase over 2019, and a 580% leap over 2023, with Thailand leading in total volume and Malaysia showing the largest increase.
Besides a larger physical parameter, the Chinese globe-trotter is also expanding her interest from traditional activities like shopping and tourism spots-hopping, to more immersive and unique local experience. Globally in the CNY week, Chinese tourists spent 70% more on food and beverage than in 2019, venturing from downtown hotspots to out-of-the-way local treasures.
In-town transportation volume grew fast thanks to the passion for "travel local". Alipay users in multiple destinations now may choose from rail, taxi, rideshare, car rental, bus, subway and even scooter-share when abroad, all from the familiar app on their own phone. The cost per ride on any vehicle for Alipay travelers dropped by 60% compared to 2019. A lighter carbon footprint also means more local SMEs on the public transport network gain a share of international tourist revenue.
China native: AI, popular culture and social buzz drive consumer enthusiasm
On Alipay's home front, 2024 is also the first time AI features prominently adopted in online holiday celebration nationwide. AI features in the app drew 600 million user interactions during Alipay's signature annual Five Fortune campaign. Over 12 million Alipay users created personalized digital red packets using AI voice and video generation technology on the Alipay platform.
Consumer enthusiasm is also fanned by major popular culture trends. Spending soared along Huanghe Road in downtown Shanghai, iconized in a recent hit TV series. Alipay figures show that the 2024 Chinese New Year Eve dinners at restaurants alongside Huanghe Road featured in the popular TV series Blossoms Shanghai were already fully reserved a week before the festival, with transaction volume going up by 800% year-on-year. Tourism businesses in the snow-cladded cities of Harbin and Shenyang in Northeast China were also surprised by an extraordinary influx of Chinese and international visitors thanks to a social media mega-buzz.
Robust intra-Asia flows among Alipay+ partner e-wallets
The Chinese New Year is widely celebrated across Asian communities. With new partnerships in 2023 and increased travel, total cross-border spending on the region's leading e-wallets powered by Alipay+ increased by 252% year-on-year. Daily average transactions increased by 304%. Japan, South Korea, Macao SAR, Thailand and Singapore are the top 5 most popular destinations for Alipay+ consumers besides the Chinese mainland.
International e-wallets and cards-enabled Alipay accounts saw multi-fold expansion in the Chinese mainland. Since September 2023, 10 leading e-wallets and payment apps in Asia have been serving their roaming users across Alipay’s 80-million-strong merchant network in China, also supported by Alipay+. Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Discover®, and Diners Club International® also expanded their collaboration with Alipay for travelers linking their international credit or debit card to their Alipay e-wallet. During CNY 2024, international travelers to China spent 500% more on their international card-enabled Alipay accounts at merchants in the Chinese mainland compared to 2023. Chinese restaurants, tourist attractions and public transportation are the most popular use cases for international visitors traveling in China and experiencing the festival.
"With its use spreading across age and income groups, increasingly mobile payment is becoming an important promoter of local and cross-border commerce in Asia and beyond, " said Douglas Feagin, Senior Vice President of Ant Group and Head of Alipay+. "We expect to grow our partnerships with the payment industry leaders, national tourist agencies and merchants in 2024 to generate more growth. "
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+ offers unified global mobile payment and marketing solutions that connect merchants with multiple e-wallets and payment methods from different countries and regions by collaborating with global partners. Consumers can conveniently use their preferred local payment methods while transacting seamlessly in a different market and be able to enjoy marketing solutions offered by the merchants through Alipay+. Alipay+ is developed by Ant Group, the owner and operator of Alipay, one of the world’s leading digital open platforms.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240216321328/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Gurobi’s Decision Intelligence Summit Comes to Prague13.10.2026 09:00:00 CEST | Press release
The Gurobi Summit EMEA returns October 13–14 to showcase why optimization is the AI that drives trusted decisions. Gurobi Optimization, LLC, the leader in decision intelligence technology, today unveiled the 2026 Gurobi Decision Intelligence Summit (“Gurobi Summit”) EMEA, taking place October 13–14 in Prague. Following the U.S. version of the event, which took place September 22-23 in Las Vegas, attendees in the EMEA region will gather at the Fantova Budova for two days of innovative use case presentations, in-depth trainings, and expert-led panels. Sessions will highlight how optimization is the most suitable form of AI for delivering actionable, defensible decisions, and how generative AI can break down barriers to entry and help more users apply optimization’s full potential. This year’s presentations will include speakers from ALDI, Dutch Railways, Ryanair Labs, SAP, Skydance, and more. Several of Gurobi’s partners will also be present to showcase their solutions and expertise. In
YouHodler Italy Authorised by CONSOB as a Crypto-Asset Service Provider Under MiCA13.10.2026 09:00:00 CEST | Press release
Authorisation covers custody, exchange of crypto-assets for funds and for other crypto-assets, execution of orders and transfer services YouHodler Italy S.r.l., announces that CONSOB, after hearing the Bank of Italy, has authorised it as a crypto-asset service provider (CASP) under Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (MiCA) and Legislative Decree 129/2024, by resolution no. 24156 of 8 October 2026. The authorisation covers five services: custody and administration of crypto-assets on behalf of clients; exchange of crypto-assets for funds; exchange of crypto-assets for other crypto-assets; execution of orders on behalf of clients; and transfer services for crypto-assets on behalf of clients. With the authorisation, YouHodler Italy serves clients in Italy as a supervised firm under MiCA's client protections: segregation of client crypto-assets, governance and security requirements, pre-contractual information and complaints handling. The company plans to extend its services to all 27 EU Member Sta
Manhattan Wins Kesko Mandate as Nordic Retail Giant Bets on Cloud-Native, AI-Driven Warehousing13.10.2026 09:00:00 CEST | Press release
The race to modernise Europe's grocery supply chains has entered a new phase, with Finnish retail group Kesko selecting ActiveWarehouse™ from leading supply chain and omnichannel commerce solutions provider Manhattan Associates Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH). The Nordic retail giant is replacing its grocery trade legacy warehouse management system with the industry’s leading, cloud-native warehouse management solution, including agentic AI capabilities delivered through ActiveAgents™ and Agent Foundry. For Finland’s second largest grocery brand, and one of the biggest in Northern Europe, the investment reflects the growing strategic importance of operational agility, as digital and physical retail become increasingly interconnected and a broader shift taking place across retail logistics more generally. The scale of Kesko’s grocery trade makes the project noteworthy in Finnish and European retail. In 2025, the division’s net sales amounted to EUR 6.5 billion, and its comparable operating profit w
Horizon3 Promotes Keith Poyser to General Manager, EMEA Following More Than 260% Regional Revenue Growth13.10.2026 09:00:00 CEST | Press release
Poyser built the EMEA team from eight to more than 110 employees and will lead the company’s next phase of expansion across the region. Horizon3 today announced the promotion of Keith Poyser to General Manager, EMEA. Previously Vice President, EMEA, Poyser will oversee the company’s next phase of growth and expansion across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. His promotion follows more than 260% regional revenue growth in the last fiscal year and the opening of Horizon3’s EMEA headquarters in Amsterdam. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261013365926/en/ Keith Poyser promoted to General Manager, EMEA following more than 260% regional revenue growth Since joining Horizon3 in September 2024, Poyser has recruited experienced talent and established a regional leadership bench, growing the EMEA team from eight to more than 110 employees. He has built a culture of trust, collaboration and accountability to support the
New Galderma Research Reveals More Than Half of Women Mistake Menopause-Related Skin Changes for Signs of Ageing13.10.2026 07:00:00 CEST | Press release
New clinical data identify optimized injectable aesthetics treatment protocol for menopause-induced skin changes 56% of women have experienced ‘The Menopausal Skin Misread’, admitting they first put menopause-related skin changes down to ageing, while fewer than a third (29%) recognized menopause as the cause1 A significant knowledge gap remains: one in two women are unaware that hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause can affect the skin, and 82% agree that better understanding the difference between menopause-related skin changes and general ageing would help them feel more informed and in control of their skincare decisions1 New data from an investigator-initiated trial (IIT) led by Dr. Andreas Nikolis and supported by Galderma, demonstrated that a sequenced treatment approach using Restylane Skinboosters followed by Sculptra delivered significant improvements in skin hydration and remodeling across the face and décolletage in menopausal women, highlighting the value of
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom