SHANGHAI, Jan. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- With the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, approaching, many Chinese are planning to celebrate it by traveling overseas. According to the Report on Spring Festival Holiday Tourism Trend (2019) recently released by Ctrip.com, a popular OTA in China, 7 million Chinese are about to spend the Spring Festival Holiday overseas this year, marking a new high. Another Chinese OTA, glz.com.cn, analysed flight ticket and hotel booking and found that Chinese tourists are traveling to more destinations, and destinations such as Latin America, the Balkans, Laos and Myanmar are expected to receive more Chinese tourists than in previous years.
In order to meet the payment needs of Chinese outbound tourists, UnionPay International continues to improve its 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 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.
UnionPay offers extensive and diverse payment services for Chinese outbound tourists
To date, UnionPay is accepted at more than 26 million merchant locations outside mainland China, covering both traditionally popular destinations and emerging destinations.
In Latin America, a new choice for many Chinese tourists, UnionPay is accepted in 14 countries and regions. In Argentina, the local ATM network RED LINK has enabled all its ATM terminals to accept UnionPay cards, raising UnionPay's ATM coverage to over 60%. UnionPay International has also partnered with Jamaica Commercial Bank to offer UnionPay payment service in the country, where UnionPay is now accepted at 70% of merchants. In Cuba, UnionPay is accepted at almost all ATMs and POS terminals. Almost all ATMs in Panama and about 90% of ATMs in Mexico accept UnionPay cards too.
In answer to the changes in Chinese tourists' payment habits, more and more merchants are accepting 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.
So far, merchants outside mainland China that accept UnionPay QR code payment has increased to 200,000; the Philippines, Fiji and Georgia are among the latest markets that have started accepting this service. In the United States, UnionPay International partners with CITCON to introduce UnionPay QR code payment service to local shopping malls and outlets, enterprise retailers, commercial areas and travel destinations favored by Chinese tourists, students and business travelers. In Thailand, UnionPay QR code payment is available in more areas, including campus, car rental merchants, and healthcare stores. In Australia, UnionPay QR code payment is available at all stores of Aumake. In the United Kingdom, Poland, and Kenya, hotels, restaurants, and retailers have started accepting UnionPay mobile QuickPass, UnionPay's contactless payment solution.
UnionPay helps Chinese tourists to enjoy more while spending less
With the Spring Festival travel peak approaching, merchants are offering special discounts to Chinese tourists: In the next month, UnionPay cardholders can enjoy up to 30%-off special discounts at tens of thousands of merchant locations across 30 countries and regions.
UnionPay cardholders can 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.
So far, over 100 million UnionPay cards are issued in 51 countries and regions. During this Spring Festival, many retailers and F&B merchants in China, such as Wagas in Shanghai, provide special discounts for foreign cardholders visiting China too.
Many merchants also offer special discounts for customers who pay with UnionPay mobile payment. 35 LAOX stores across 7 cities in Japan offer up to 2,000 yen discount for customers who pay with the UnionPay app. AWPL stores in New Zealand or at Woolworths supermarkets in Australia offer instant discounts for customers who have spent a certain amount with UnionPay mobile QuickPass.
After shopping at over 300,000 merchant locations across 44 countries and regions, tourists can use UnionPay card to claim tax refund. In addition to the traditional airport and port tax refund service, UnionPay International also provides Early Tax Refund service at downtown in 14 countries such as France, the United Kingdom and Italy.
