During the first four days of China’s National Day Golden Week in 2024, Alipay recorded a significant increase in transactions made by Chinese tourists abroad, with a 60% rise compared to the same period in 2023. Popular destinations such as Malaysia, Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong SAR, and Singapore showed the fastest growth in transaction volume.
Alipay has become the preferred app for Chinese travelers, with tourists shifting their focus from shopping to spending on local experiences. Payments for services like transportation, entertainment, food and beverages, and retail saw the highest growth.
For example, transportation spending—particularly on buses, subways, and shared bikes—increased, with Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong SAR, and Macao SAR leading in transaction growth.
Alipay, in partnership with Alipay+, teamed up with global merchants and tourism boards to offer attractive discounts. Chinese tourists in Japan and Korea were the top coupon claimers during the holiday.
Discount bundles for dining, entertainment, shopping, and transport, like Singapore’s Passion Made Possible e-Card and Thailand’s Amazing Thailand e-Card, also saw impressive sales, with a ninefold and twofold increase respectively.
Alipay’s real-time tax refund service was another hit, with a 130% rise in usage year-on-year during the holiday.
For inbound tourism, international travelers using Alipay spent 120% more year-on-year in mainland China during the Golden Week holiday. Visitors from more than 10 countries benefiting from China’s updated visa-free policies since 2023 spent three times more via Alipay. Meanwhile, the number of Chinese merchants accepting Alipay from foreign customers doubled.
Alipay’s new features, such as Alipay Tap! and its AI assistant Zhixiaobao, gained popularity. Spending via Alipay Tap! surged 130%, while Zhixiaobao saw over 20 million interactions, with a 40% increase in daily active users compared to the pre-holiday period.
Additionally, overseas visitors can now use their home e-wallets in China through Alipay+, which supports 13 major e-wallets in Asia, including AlipayHK, Touch ‘n Go eWallet, Kakao Pay, and GCash.
