Singapore top destination for Chinese travellers

Chinese tourists are increasingly seeking more personalised, local experiences.

Singapore is one of the top countries Chinese travellers are heading to, according to insights from Alipay.

Tracking Alipay spending, aside from Singapore, Chinese travellers are heading for Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Macao SAR, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, France, Canada, and Italy.

According to Alipay, Chinese tourists are increasingly seeking more personalised, local experiences. Switzerland recorded the highest average Alipay spending per user, whilst in South Korea, average spending exceeded $129.43 (US$100), driven in part by the growing trend of travelling for cosmetic surgery.

In addition, the growing desire for immersive local travel experiences is driving increased use of local transportation, with Alipay transactions rising 53% year-over-year. Public transit has become the most frequently used Alipay service among travellers.

Taking buses and subways with Alipay is especially popular in Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR, where travellers are already familiar with using it for daily commutes. Other emerging trends include buying train tickets in Europe and unlocking shared bikes in Japan with Alipay.

Furthermore, Alipay’s real-time tax refund service saw a 33% year-on-year increase in the refund value per transaction, while the number of claims for Alipay’s instant discount offer increased by 46% compared to the New Year’s Day holiday.