With the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, approaching, many Chinese people are planning to celebrate it overseas. According to the Report on Spring Festival Holiday Tourism Trend (2019) recently released by Ctrip.com, 7 million Chinese are expected to spend the Spring Festival overseas this year, marking a new high. A Chinese OTA, glz.com.cn analysed flight ticket and hotel booking for this Spring Festival, and found that Chinese outbound tourists are traveling to more destinations, and emerging destinations such as Latin America, the Balkans, Laos and Myanmar will receive more Chinese tourists than in previous years.

In order to meet the payment needs of Chinese outbound tourists, UnionPay International is committed to improving the acceptance network outside mainland China. So far, the UnionPay acceptance footprint has extended to 174 countries and regions. In the second half of 2018, Serbia, Montenegro and Jamaica have started accepting UnionPay cards. On the eve of the Spring Festival, merchants in the UK, Poland and Georgia began accepting the UnionPay mobile payment services, offering more payment options to Chinese tourists.

To date, UnionPay is accepted at more than 26 million merchants outside mainland China, covering both traditionally popular destinations and emerging destinations.

In answer to the changes in Chinese tourists’ payment habits, more and more markets have offered UnionPay mobile payment services to attract Chinese customers. So far, users of the UnionPay app can enjoy UnionPay mobile payment services in 46 countries and regions worldwide. These include paying by scanning QR codes via the UnionPay app as well as by tapping mobile phones to pay after activate mobile QuickPass function.

UnionPay cardholders are able to get substantial benefits in all aspects of their travels during this Spring Festival. For example, in Tokyo, UnionPay cardholders will get a coupon when spending a certain amount with UnionPay cards at Matsuya department store in Ginza. In Singapore, cardholders can enjoy 15%-off discount when buying Sentosa Cable Car round-trip ticket using UnionPay cards. Anantara Hotel Resort offers UnionPay cardholders various privileges, including room booking, catering and spa treatments. Chinese tourists are entitled to various privileges at some niche attractions: UnionPay cardholders are offered discounts when taking a subscooter at Blue Safari in Mauritius, watching wildlife, enjoy a helicopter ride with Cape Town Helicopters, or enjoy a delicious seafood platter at V&A Waterfront in South Africa.

So far, more than 100 million UnionPay cards have been issued in 51 countries and regions. During this Spring Festival, UnionPay cardholders can also enjoy the above-mentioned benefits. Many retailers and F&B merchants in China, such as Wagas in Shanghai, provide special discounts for foreign cardholders visiting China too.