Alipay+, a global cross-border mobile payment and digitalization technology platform operated by Ant International, has on Monday announced it signed a business agreement with the Korea Easy Payment Foundation (KEPF) and Jeju Tourism Organization (JTO).
The partnership aims to significantly enhance the travel experience for international visitors exploring the iconic island destination of Jeju by providing convenient digital payment services and exclusive offers, and thus contribute to boosting the local economy, Alipay+ said in a statement.
Through the agreement, users of 11 Alipay+ partner e-wallets including Alipay from the Chinese mainland, AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR, China), MPay (Macao SAR, China), TrueMoney (Thailand), Touch’n Go eWallet (Malaysia), OCBC Digital (Singapore), Changi Pay (Singapore), and Hipay (Mongolia), HelloMoney and GCash (The Philippines) and Tinaba (Italy) will able to enjoy exclusive offers at ZeroPay merchants across Jeju Island by scanning the ZeroPay QR code at the merchant’s counter with their home e-wallet apps.
Cited the Jeju Tourism Organization, the statement said 377,734 foreign tourists visited Jeju between January and March this year, up 532.5 percent from 58,609 during the same period last year.
It is also noted that the first time since February 2020 that the number of foreign tourists to Jeju has exceeded 100,000 per month for three consecutive months.
About 80 percent of international travelers to Jeju came from China, followed by those from Taiwan, Singapore and Japan.
“As the number of overseas travelers visiting Jeju is clearly on the rise, we hope this partnership contributes to a recovery in inbound tourism to Jeju and revitalize local businesses,” said Hyung Kwon (Danny) Chung, General Manager of Alipay+ Korea, Europe, Middle East and Mongolia at Ant International.
He added, Alipay+ will continue to support the Jeju government’s efforts to attract international tourists visiting Jeju and enhance the overall travel experience, offering the most convenient digital payment services as well as great offers.
Koh Seung-cheol, Chief Executive Officer of Jeju Tourism Office, said that this agreement is geared towards boosting the spending of foreign tourists by promoting QR code-based transactions, thereby fostering economic growth in the local community.
“Together, we will actively promote Jeju as a premier global tourism destination,” he added.
Choi Tong-joo, Chief Executive Officer of Korea Easy Payment Foundation, said that the agency aims to further expand its collaboration with domestic payment companies to develop a seamless payment infrastructure, integrating both domestic and international services.