Sentosa Singapore's merchants go cashless with Alipay to entice Chinese tourists
Sentosa, a man-made island for tourists in Singapore, has worked with Alipay to allow a majority of its merchants to go cashless in a bid to attract Chinese tourists.
Sentosa hopes this new partnership will further enhance guest experiences for Chinese tourists on the island.
The partnership is a collaboration between Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the Alibaba-owned Alipay.
Sentosa hopes this new partnership will further enhance guest experiences for Chinese tourists on the island, as they can now use mobile transactions for attractions, F&B, and retail outlets through the Alipay smartphone app.
In addition, there will also be a marketing campaign called ‘Smart Sentosa’ to drive consumer awareness of and participation in the initiative that runs until March 2019. The campaign is timed to coincide with key travel periods for Chinese visitors such as the Lunar New Year in February.
“With 19 million locals and tourists visiting Sentosa annually, technology is a key enabler in our efforts to create seamless experiences for today’s digitally savvy and connected guests,” said Lynette Ang, the chief marketing officer for SDC.
“The rollout of Alipay’s cashless payment solutions in Sentosa is one fitting illustration of how we constantly collaborate with various partners on technological innovations to make our guests’ stay fun and enjoyable. Through these efforts, we look forward to welcoming even more guests to Sentosa's unique leisure experiences.”
According to Nielsen and Alipay's Outbound Chinese Tourism and Consumption Trends: 2017 survey, over 90% of Chinese tourists would use mobile payment overseas if given the option.