Alipay expands merchant network to support international tourism in Japan

Digital payment platform Alipay has announced that, as Japan reopens to international tourism, over a million local merchants are now connected to its global cross-border digital service.

Improving travel experiences for international tourists, the Alipay+ service offers enhanced marketing capabilities to better serve consumers across the world with the collaboration allowing tourists from countries including China, Singapore, South Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand the ability to make payments via their phone app the way they do at home.

As of this week, Universal Studios Japan in Osaka has become Alipay+’s latest partner with the theme park to introduce Alipay+’s QR code cross-border digital payments solution, which accepts some of the region’s most popular e-wallets, providing a convenient and smooth travel experience to international visitors.

Commenting on the new joint agreement, Universal Studios Japan LLC President and Chief Executive, J.L. Bonnier advised “we are very pleased to welcome Alipay+ as Universal Studios Japan's Corporate Marketing Partner.

“The (Japanese) Government's easing of border measures has paved the way for the revival of inbound tourism, and the partnership with Alipay+ has great significance.

“It will be easier for guests from Asian countries to pay with their familiar mobile payment methods through Alipay+, and it will lead to an improved shopping experience, which is part of the park's offerings.

“Furthermore, we would like to contribute to the reconstruction of the tourism industry to accelerate the recovery of demand for tourism to Japan with the park as a primary destination.”

Welcoming the collaboration, Ant Group’s General Manager of Japan, Jiang Weixiao, added “we are very pleased to have become a Corporate Marketing Partner with Universal Studios Japan and introduce Alipay+.

“Through Alipay+, we hope more visitors to Japan will not only enjoy a smoother and more fruitful shopping and leisure experience in the park, but it will also lead to more overall visits. At present, the number of Alipay+ merchant partners in Japan, including tourist and commercial facilities, has exceeded one million. As Japan reopens to individual tourists, we would like to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises in tourism, retail, hospitality and other businesses in Japan to integrate Alipay+ as an opportunity to capture their purchase power and ensure a frictionless experience of more than 1 billion people in the Asian region."

The expansion of the Alipay+ easy travel campaign to Japan is expected to be well-received as the country has recently lifted the daily cap on inbound arrivals and resumed a visa waiver policy, amounting to a full reopening.

The Japanese Government's policy shift, which began on 11th October, comes after nearly two and a half years of entry restrictions.

The World Economic Forum’s latest Travel and Tourism Development Index ranked Japan as the number one economy enabling travel and tourism development. Other studies show that the country has seen a steady increase of mobile payment usage during the COVID-19 pandemic, as more people embrace contactless payments and digital lifestyles.

Image: As Japan reopens to mass tourism, Universal Studios Japan is the latest partner of Alipay+.