Overall, more Chinese tourists used mobile pay than cash while traveling last year, the report said. Bank cards did remain the most common payment method, while shopping, accommodation and dining remained the top three spending categories.
To be clear, increased overseas support for the technology doesn’t necessarily mean locals will be using it anytime soon. Alipay, for example, requires a Chinese mobile number and bank account. The payment technology works abroad through partnerships with local merchants and companies, such as First Data in North America.
However, just as luxury stores hired Mandarin-speaking staff to serve Chinese tourists, more tourist destinations may feel the need to accept Alipay and WeChat Pay.
“Looking forward, we will support the efforts of more local merchants to connect with Chinese tourists and boost their business growth,” Chen Jiayi, head of business operations for Alipay’s cross-border business, said in a statement.
Even as China’s economy slows, Ctrip’s expectation of 7 million outbound travelers this Chinese New Year is up slightly from last year’s prediction of 6.5 million.
In addition, data shows more people from smaller cities are interested in traveling overseas. The country’s cities are divided into tiers, with Beijing and Shanghai among the first tier and Nanjing and Chengdu among the second.
The Nielsen survey found more tourists from second-tier cities than first-tier ones visited Europe last year and spent an average of $6,006 on outbound travel, up from $472 in 2017.
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