Thailand could receive 1 million tourists during Chinese New Year
Almost 1 million foreign tourists – mostly from China and Hong Kong – are expected to visit Thailand during the upcoming Chinese New Year next week, according to The Tourism Authority of Thailand.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand also said that those visitors would generate an estimated 28.4 billion baht for the Thai economy during the period.
The 2024 lunar Chinese New Year falls on February 10.
In the run-up to the Chinese New Year holidays beginning on February 10, China’s outbound travel bookings had surged more than 10 times compared to last year.
The top travel destinations include countries that offer visa-free entry for Chinese tourists, such as Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia, alongside other popular destinations including Japan and South Korea.
Alipay+ is operated by Ant International, the international business division of Alibaba Group Holding's financial technology affiliate Ant Group, which is headquartered in China.
Its president said that 2024 will be an “exciting year” for Alipay+ to unlock many digital innovations in online and offline cross-border commerce.
“As a global travel phenomenon, Chinese New Year is the perfect moment to kickstart our new range of partnerships, campaigns and product offerings to build a seamless and authentic travel experience and bring more business for merchants large and small,” he said.
Operating across 57 markets, Alipay+ now connects over 88 million global merchants cross-border to 1.5 billion accounts on over 25 leading e-wallets and payment apps. International travellers can pay online and offline with their home payment apps around the world with ease and security.
As of January 2024, Alipay+ partner wallets and banking apps include Alipay (China), AlipayHK (Hong Kong), GCash (Philippines), TrueMoney (Thailand), Touch ‘n Go eWallet (Malaysia), and OCBC Digital (Singapore).
In Thailand, Alipay+ has more than 100,000 partner stores that include premium international brands such as King Power and Jim Thompson, and major shopping malls, including Central, Robinson, Siam Paragon, and EmQuartier.
It’s recent expansion to 7-Eleven stores, McDonald's, and Big C supermarket outlets gives tourists more convenience as they travel around Thailand.
“International travel is clearly an anchor for national and regional prosperity in Asia and beyond,” said Feagin. “Alipay+ will continue to expand partnerships and our repertoire of digitalisation tools to help communities thrive through cross-border travel and commerce,” he added.
