Asian Winter Games host city woos more travelers

The 9th Asian Winter Games, which took place between Feb 7 and Feb 14, attracted a large number of inbound tourists who enjoyed sightseeing and shopping in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, injecting new vitality into cultural and tourism consumption.

Data from Alipay, which is operated by technology company Ant Group, show that during the Games, the amount spent by inbound tourists using Alipay increased nearly sixfold compared to the same period last year.

To effectively ensure a safe, efficient and convenient payment service for the Games, the local branches of the People's Bank of China and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange focused on improving the level of payment services such as foreign card acceptance, mobile payments, cash services and foreign currency exchange.

"Under the guidance of the central bank's local branch, Alipay launched two sets of mobile payment solutions for inbound tourists — allowing them to link an overseas bank card to Alipay and access their overseas e-wallets to scan Alipay QR codes for mobile payment services," said Katelyn Ko, director of international traveler payment business department at Alipay.

"For the first one, after downloading the Alipay app and registering with a phone number, email, or Apple ID, tourists can link an international bank card, which supports Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Discover, Diners Club International and UnionPay International bank cards to make payments at various consumption scenarios like domestic users."

"The second solution supports users of 13 e-wallets from 10 countries and regions who can directly scan Alipay QR codes for payments," she said. "These overseas e-wallets include AlipayHK of Hong Kong, MPay of Macao, Changi Pay and OCBC Bank of Singapore, Touch 'n Go eWallet of Malaysia, TrueMoney of Thailand, GCash of Philippines, Kakao Pay, Naver Pay and Toss Pay of the Republic of Korea, HiPay of Mongolia, NayaPay of Pakistan and Kaspi.kz of Kazakhstan."

Alipay now enables inbound tourists in Harbin to more easily use services such as online car-hailing, public transportation, subways, bicycles, dining, supermarkets, hotels and tourist attractions, providing a consumer experience as simple and convenient as that of domestic residents.

Furthermore, Alipay launched the new payment service Alipay Tap in about 6,000 well-known business sites in Harbin, including Harbin Ice and Snow World and the 9th Asian Winter Games souvenir shops.

In July 2024, Alipay upgraded its QR code payment and introduced the Alipay Tap.

After unlocking their phones, users can make payments by simply tapping the payment device without opening Alipay.

"The new payment method not only simplifies the payment process and speeds up transactions but also further improves the users' consumption experience and brings new additions to the consumer market," said Ko. "It has been well received by young people as well as the elderly."

Erica Dawn, a tourist from the United States, said she had a wonderful trip to Harbin.

"During the visit to Harbin, I experienced the 500-meter giant slide at the renowned ice and snow park, and tasted various local cuisines, such as the Modern ice lollipop," said Dawn. "Every time I paid, I chose Alipay Tap, which is very convenient and advanced. It can prevent my hands from getting cold outside and also helps shorten the waiting time in lines."

Ko said, "The ice and snow economy ignites the winter season, and we hope to help inbound tourists enjoy sightseeing and shopping in Harbin by optimizing payment services, allowing them to further experience the charm of the ice city."