KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia led globally with a remarkable 171% surge in Alipay spending among short-haul destinations in Asia, as the country remains a popular destination among mainland China travellers.
Alipay’s data also showed a significant uptick in both outbound and inbound tourism spending in China during the 2024 Labour Day holiday.
In a statement, it said short-haul destinations across Asia continued to attract huge interest among China citizens.
“South-East Asia saw a 52% increase in spending by Alipay users year-on-year (y-o-y).
Notably, Thailand emerged as the top destination in the region in terms of Alipay spending, while Malaysia showed the most impressive 171% increase, making it the highest globally,” it said.
“In addition to these popular short-haul trips, China travellers are increasingly using the extended five-day holiday to venture further afield.
“Long-haul destinations have gained traction, with North America, Europe, and Australia becoming the preferred choices for more exploratory and extended travels among Alipay users,” it added.
Meanwhile Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, South Korea, the United States and Thailand stand out as top destinations for China travellers and had drawn the most Alipay users, it said.
“Japan has risen to prominence as an enticing and budget-friendly destination for China tourists, largely attributable to the yen’s depreciation.
This economic advantage has been reflected in a substantial surge in Alipay spending within the country, which saw an impressive y-o-y growth of 164%,” it added.
