In collaboration with Xi’an, the historic capital city in Shaanxi province, renowned for the Terracotta Warriors, Alipay, the leading digital payment and lifestyle service platform, has launched the ‘International Consumer Friendly Tourist Destination’ initiative. With the resurgence of inbound tourism to China, this initiative aims to enhance travel and shopping experiences for international visitors in Xi’an and boost the city’s tourism industry.
Supported and guided by local authorities, Alipay is partnering with various entities in Xi’an, including tourist attractions, hotels, restaurants, and public transit agencies, to upgrade their payment and digital services for international travelers. International visitors can now link their Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Discover®, or Diners Club International® credit or debit cards to the Alipay app, enabling easy payments at numerous merchants within the Alipay network across the Chinese mainland.
In addition to using Alipay, international tourists can also utilize their home e-wallets while exploring China. These include AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR, China), MPay (Macao SAR, China), Touch ’n Go eWallet (Malaysia), Kakao Pay (South Korea), Hipay (Mongolia), Changi Pay (Singapore), OCBC (Singapore), Naver Pay (South Korea), Toss Pay (South Korea), TrueMoney (Thailand), NayaPay (Pakistan), and Kaspi.kz (Kazakhstan).
Following the successful introduction of digital red packets at Mount Huangshan before the May Day holiday in 2024, Alipay is expanding this service. From now until June 30, international travelers in Xi’an can claim digital red packets for discounts on offline purchases across China. Participating merchants include tourist attractions like Tang Paradise and the Longest Day in Chang’an Theme Block, restaurants such as Lanxiangzi and Chahuanong, food streets like Yongxing Fang, and metro and bus stations.
According to Alipay statistics, the transaction volume of international visitors using Alipay in Xi’an increased nearly sevenfold in the first four months of 2024 compared to the same period last year. The top ten tourist attractions where international visitors frequently used Alipay include: the Great Tang All Day Mall, Tang Paradise, Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum, Mount Huashan, Bell and Drum Tower, Daming Palace National Heritage Park, Huaqing Palace, Tang West Market Museum, Yongxing Fang, and the Hancheng Lake Scenic Area.
Alipay provides global tourists with a convenient and secure mobile payment service along with various travel services to enhance their experience in China. These services, accessible directly from Alipay’s homepage, include online translation, ride-hailing, public transport, hotel reservations, and train ticket bookings.
“Alipay looks forward to working with even more partners to enhance the payment and travel experience for both domestic and international tourists. We aim to support an increasing amount of local tourist attractions and commercial districts to create a travel and shopping experience that is welcoming to visitors from all around the world,” said Jiajia Li, vice president of Alipay business group at Ant Group.
