China’s UnionPay announces plans to further expand in the global tourism industry

Representing China’s UnionPay, UnionPay Chairman Ge Huayong held a speech at the 21^st United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) General Assembly and announced its ambition to accelerate expansion in the global tourism industry, with the expressed ambition of “being available wherever Chinese tourists go“.

Mr. Ge describes four things as essential to Chinese outbound tourists, namely availability of Chinese food, hot water, TVs with Chinese channels, and acceptance of UnionPay cards. According to Mr. Ge, UnionPay is currently available in 150 countries and regions globally, with 26 million merchants accepting UnionPay cards, and 1.9 million ATMs outside of China accepting withdrawals for UnionPay cardholders.

In addition, UnionPay announced that it is working on new products and services tailored for the tourism industry to meet the diverse demands it presents. The two products and services that were mentioned are UnionPay QuickPass, an online payment solution, and mobile payment.

Lastly, Mr. Ge emphasised the importance of stronger cooperation between the tourism industry and payment providers, both in working on new solutions to better serve tourists, as well as in identifying and adapting to new travel trends.

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Source: UnionPay International

Photo: Richard Bao, flickr