Older Chinese tourists were the ‘main driving force’ in exploding mobile payment volumes made overseas during the Lunar New Year holiday (4-10 February).

Preliminary findings from Alipay based on Chinese travellers’ mobile payment behaviours in 40-plus markets where the platform is accepted reveals a surge in tourism volumes and consumption levels across two groups – those born between 1960-1969 and 1970-1979.

Alipay users in the first group (1960-1969) grew by 230% year-on-year, with total consumption up 250% year-on-year.

Meanwhile, the number of Alipay users in group two (1970-1979) hiked by 190% year-on-year, with total consumption up 232% year-on-year.

MOBILE PAYMENTS ‘TAKING ROOT’

The research also shows outbound travellers from third- and fourth-tier Chinese cities made more purchases using Alipay than those from tier one cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

“We are excited to see robust growth in the use of Alipay by overseas travellers from third- and fourth-tier cities and middle-aged vacationers,” commented Janice Chen, Head of Business Operation, Cross-Border Business, Alipay.

“This really highlights how mobile payment is taking root in China’s outbound tourism market. While providing a better experience for Chinese travellers, Alipay is at the same time a huge drawcard for overseas merchants as a platform to help growth their business.”

A rising uptake in Chinese mobile payments follows a Nielsen and Alipay report last month pointing to accelerating outbound travel from tier two city travellers – outpacing their tier one counterparts.

Approximately 140m Chinese tourists made outbound trips in 2018 with tourism-related expenditure per capita at an average $6,026. This is tipped to rise to $6,706 per person in 2019.