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STB, Alipay team up to attract more Chinese tourists

This article is more than 12 months old

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and online payment service Alipay will launch a campaign next month to attract more Chinese tourists here.

Under the Singapore Passion Ambassador campaign, a group of Chinese "ambassadors" will be sponsored to experience one of three itineraries to explore unique attractions, food and retail outlets, all of which are Alipay merchants. The itineraries will be personalised for three types of traveller - the foodie, collector and explorer.

Each of the itineraries will be on the Alipay app for a year, so that Singapore-bound Chinese tourists can discover new dining and shopping experiences.

Ambassadors will be active users of the app who regularly share their experiences on social media or online. The campaign ties in with STB's and Alipay's goal of encouraging more Chinese tourists to visit Singapore.

STB and Alipay also launched marketing campaigns in February to encourage tourist spending.

The campaigns align with the goals of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the two parties last September to enhance Chinese tourists' experience in Singapore and deepen STB's understanding of Chinese consumer behaviour and spending patterns.

Since signing the MOU, Alipay has experienced double-digit growth in user spending. China also became Singapore's top tourism market last year, contributing $4.2 billion in tourism receipts and 3.2 million visitor arrivals.

"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," said Ms Jacqueline Ng, STB's director of marketing partnerships and planning.

TOURISM & TRAVEL