China’s eight-day “Golden Week” holiday, occurring from October 1 to 8 and coinciding with both the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day, has resulted in a notable increase in cross-border travel activities among Chinese tourists.
According to data from the Alipay platform, the five leading destinations for outbound spending by Chinese tourists via Alipay from October 1 to 3 include Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. Concurrently, Greece, Laos, Nepal, Portugal, and Turkey exhibited the most significant growth in Alipay transactions made by Chinese visitors.
This Golden Week saw half of all outbound tourists utilizing Alipay for their overseas purchases. The predominant spending categories comprised clothing, groceries, jewelry, dining, and cosmetics.
Health priorities for travelers remain noteworthy. A collaborative study from Alipay, navigation platform Amap, and AI healthcare app AQ indicated a 32% rise in health consultations performed by outbound Chinese tourists via AQ in the initial three days of the Golden Week, with common health concerns including diarrhea, fever, and acclimatization challenges.
Based on the report by Ant Group’s AI healthcare app AQ, numerous AI-powered services are available, including doctor locators, health consultations, medical report interpretations, and health assessments.
Moreover, the facilitation of visa-free entry policies, improved access to payment services such as Alipay, and enhanced tax refund processes have contributed to an uptick in both the number of international visitors to China and their spending habits.
During the period from October 1 to 5, Alipay noted a staggering 500% increase in transactions made by international tourists using the Alipay Tap!, a contactless payment solution that utilizes QR codes, which was introduced in China back in June 2024.
Attractive tourist locations like Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, and Chengdu are elevating instant tax refund services tailored for international holidaymakers, enriching their shopping experiences. For example, Shenzhen recorded a remarkable 70% increase in Alipay-processed tax refunds for international tourists within the first five days of the holiday.
International travelers in China can smoothly conduct payments at local businesses through QR code scanning or tapping with Alipay after linking an international credit or debit card. Furthermore, visitors from twelve countries and regions can utilize their home e-wallets throughout China, facilitated by Alipay+.
