The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has joined hands with Alipay, an online payment and lifestyle platform operated by Ant Financial Services Group, to launch a series of joint marketing initiatives to boost Chinese tourist spending.
The projects are aimed at raising destination awareness of Singapore and driving tourist spending among Chinese visitors.
In September 2017, the two parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in September 2017 to enhance Chinese tourists’ overall experience in Singapore, and encourage them to spend with Alipay on their trip.
Since signing the MOU, Alipay has experienced double-digit growth in user spending. China has also become Singapore’s top market in 2017 for both tourism receipts and visitor arrivals, contributing S$4.2 billion in tourism receipts and 3.2 million visitor arrivals.
The marketing activities were designed to incentivise Alipay users, through rewards and discounts, to spend across different types of tourism businesses such as retail, F&B and attractions. The aim is to further boost their spending in Singapore.
The partnership will help deepen STB’s understanding of Chinese visitors’ consumer behavior and spending patterns, leveraging Alipay’s insights.
“With China being Singapore’s top source market for both visitor arrivals and tourist spending last year, we are pleased to partner with Alipay as their keen insights and deep understanding of Chinese consumers will help us to continue to grow in this critical market," said Ms Jacqueline Ng, Director, Marketing Partnerships & Planning, STB.
“We hope to continue to broaden over time our partnership with Alipay to explore more innovative marketing initiatives in the areas of content, digital and technology to further enhance the Chinese visitor experience."
Cherry Huang, General Manager, Cross-border Business for South and Southeast Asia, Alipay, added that, “Singapore is a favorite destination for Chinese travelers. Alipay is very pleased to be working together with the Singapore Tourism Board to ensure the consistent smart lifestyle for Chinese travelers in Singapore that they experience at home. At the same time, we are excited to connect more merchants in Singapore with Chinese tourists and be discovered by them through the app.”