Tencent’s WeChat Pay expands coverage to Maldives amid rebound in Chinese tourists traveling abroad

Tencent Holdings‘ WeChat Payment can now be used by tourists from mainland China in Maldivesas expanded coverage of the company’s popular digital wallet depends on the recovery of China’s outbound travel.

The Chinese tech giant on Monday signed a three-year agreement with tourism authorities in the Republic of Maldives to jointly promote WeChat Pay – known as Weixin Pay on the mainland – to merchants in the archipelagic state, according to a statement from Tencent .

WeChat Pay is available in a pilot phase in some popular shops, restaurants and tourist locations in the Maldives, including tax-free airport shops and luxury resorts such as Vabbinfaru Banyan Tree and Velaa Private Island.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledgeour new content curation platform with explainers, FAQs, analyzes and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

“China is an important source of tourists for the Maldives and we highly value the experience of Chinese visitors,” said Zihuny Rasheed, deputy managing director of Maldives Marketing and PR Corp, in the statement. “We plan to promote acceptance of Weixin Pay across the country, offering Chinese tourists the payment option they know and prefer.”

A panoramic view of Malé, capital of the Maldives. Photo: Anadolu via Getty Images alt=A panoramic view of Malé, capital of the Maldives. Photo: Anadolu via Getty Images>

Tencent aims to expand WeChat Pay coverage in the Maldives to 8,000 merchants by the end of this year, according to the statement. WeChat Pay is currently available in 69 countries and regions.

WeChat Pay’s expansion to the Maldives reflects opportunities in the gradual recovery of Chinese tourists traveling abroad amid Beijing’s new visa policies and increase in international flights.

China recently signed various mutual visa waiver pacts with several countries – including Singapore, Thailand It is Georgia – encourage travel, as tourists from the continent increasingly prefer travel to visa-free destinations.

According to Chinese travel agency Touniu earlier this month, tourists traveling abroad on the platform accounted for 27% of total tourists during the May Day holidaya 190% increase year on year.

The Maldives, where Chinese passport holders can visit for 30 days without a visa, has long been a popular destination for mainland tourists. China is also the largest source of travelers arriving in the Maldives, which represented 11% of total tourists, according to official data.

The story continues

This article originally appeared on South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most trusted voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, explore the SCMP Application or visit SCMP Facebook It is Twitter Pages. Copyright © 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.