PETALING JAYA: Top destinations for Chinese tourists during the Golden Week holiday from Oct 1 to 7 include Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore, according to records on e-wallet payments on Alipay.
"The number of transactions made by Alipay users in overseas markets during the first four days of the holiday increased by over 60% compared to the same period in 2023. Malaysia, Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong SAR, and Singapore emerged as top destinations
"During the 2024 National Day Golden Week, Alipay recorded a significant increase in both China’s outbound and inbound tourism spending," it said in a statement on Monday (Oct 7).
Shopping is also no longer the main focus for Chinese travellers, who instead pay more for local experiences, said the mobile payment company.
"Spending via Alipay on services, transportation, entertainment, food and beverage, and retail saw the fastest growth compared to other sectors.
"For instance, in terms of local transportation spending, more travellers are opting for buses, subways, and shared bikes, making small but frequent payments. Thailand,
Malaysia, Hong Kong and Macao SAR saw the fastest growth in transportation transactions on Alipay," it said.
International travellers to China also spent 120% more year-on-year using their international card-enabled Alipay accounts at merchants across the Chinese mainland during the first four days of the National Day holiday.
"Travelers from more than 10 countries benefiting from China's visa-free policy updates since 2023 spent three times more year-on-year via Alipay," it said.
Since September 2023, Alipay+ solutions have supported 13 leading e-wallets and payment apps in Asia to serve their roaming users across Alipay’s 80-million-strong merchant network in China, including Touch 'n Go e-wallet in Malaysia.
