The primary batch of the launch features a whole of 20 packages geared toward serving to worldwide vacationers navigate their travels in China.
The packages embrace excursions with an English-speaking information at well-known vacationer points of interest such because the Palace Museum and Badaling Nice Wall in Beijing, Chengdu Analysis Base of Large Panda Breeding and Jiuzhaigou Nationwide Park (Jiuzhai Valley) in Sichuan Province, Shaolin Temple in Henan Province, and Shanghai Disney Resort and the Bund in Shanghai. A number of the points of interest supply low cost as much as 20%.
Alipay and Journey.com additionally launched a China Journey Information within the app with complete journey recommendation within the nation. The information offers detailed info on matters equivalent to pre-travel checklists, visa functions, points of interest, resorts, cell cost, communication, transport, reserving providers and extra.
Cross-border journey, together with inbound journey to China, is witnessing a steady surge globally given the rise in flights and favorable insurance policies. In response to Journey.com information, from January to October this yr, inbound tour orders elevated 125% year-on-year in comparison with 2022.
Ranging from December 1, 2023 to November 30, 2024, vacationers holding atypical passports from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia can get pleasure from visa-free entry to China. They will additionally keep for as much as 15 days for enterprise, tourism, household visits and transit functions.
“With its main world journey providers, Journey.com seeks to collaborate with business companions like Alipay to proceed enhancing the expertise of inbound vacationers and draw extra worldwide travellers to China. Journey.com goals to extend the variety of inbound vacationers served in 2024 by greater than 150% in contrast with 2019,” mentioned Jiqiang Wang, vice normal supervisor of digital advertising and marketing at Journey.com.
“We’re delighted to work with companions throughout the business to boost worldwide vacationers’ cost and journey expertise in China. Because the main digital pockets in China, Alipay will proceed to optimize services to higher serve worldwide guests,” mentioned Yaoyao Jin answerable for worldwide vacationers’ utilization of Alipay. “We additionally encourage extra retailers and repair suppliers working digitally on Alipay platform to boost their providers for worldwide vacationers.”
Along with Journey.com, Alipay additionally launched the “New 12 months, New Exploration” marketing campaign on social media, inviting worldwide vacationers inquisitive about exploring China to journey like a neighborhood utilizing their cell phone.
Alipay has been frequently enhancing its services for worldwide vacationers. After downloading the Alipay app, abroad vacationers now can enroll and hyperlink their worldwide credit score or debit card from Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Uncover®, and Diners Membership Worldwide® to pay at tens of thousands and thousands of Alipay accomplice retailers throughout China, together with eating places, cafes, vacationer points of interest, procuring malls, avenue stalls and public transport. It additionally integrates frequently-used journey providers, together with resort reserving, air tickets reserving, car-hailing, change price checking, and translation.
Along with utilizing Alipay to pay like a neighborhood in China, worldwide vacationers from 7 nations and areas together with Malaysia and Singapore may use their house e-wallet whereas touring round China. These house e-wallets embrace AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR, China), mPay (Macao SAR, China), Contact ’n Go eWallet (Malaysia), Kakao Pay (South Korea), Hipay (Mongolia), Changi Pay (Singapore), OCBC (Singapore), Naver Pay (South Korea), Toss Pay (South Korea) and TrueMoney (Thailand).
