LankaPay, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), and Alipay+ have formed a strategic partnership aimed at boosting the attractiveness of Sri Lanka as a travel destination. This collaboration seeks to increase the number of international visitors, particularly from Asian markets and the broader Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
The alliance utilizes the extensive global network of Alipay+, along with Ant International’s integrated wallet platform, which is made accessible locally through LankaPay. This initiative aims to position Sri Lanka as a top choice for international tourists. Alipay+ has established connections with over 40 international partners, including prominent e-wallets and banking applications across the APAC region, reaching approximately 1.8 billion user accounts. Through targeted promotional campaigns, Alipay+ will work to attract affluent travelers to Sri Lanka.
As part of this collaboration, users of Alipay+ will enjoy exclusive deals and promotions when utilizing LankaQR for their purchases in Sri Lanka. These incentives are anticipated to positively shape travel choices and boost tourist expenditure in the country, ultimately enhancing tourism revenue.
In light of changing global trends, the SLTDA is increasingly prioritizing the attraction of tourists from significant Asian and APAC markets. This partnership aligns with the SLTDA’s strategic goals, facilitating improved visibility and accessibility for Sri Lanka within these key demographics.
This initiative represents the initial phase of a more extensive partnership between LankaPay and SLTDA, which is focused on the sustainable growth of Sri Lanka’s tourism sector. Alipay+, as a global partner of LankaPay, enables seamless cross-border QR payments and offers AI-driven in-app marketing and travel services, which enhance convenience for international travelers while promoting the adoption of digital payments throughout the island. This positions Sri Lanka as a forward-thinking destination for tech-savvy tourists.
Beyond fostering inbound tourism, this initiative is also expected to stimulate local economic development by encouraging micro and small businesses to accept cross-border QR payments via LankaQR, the nation’s official QR payment network. This will allow these merchants to engage with the expanding digital payments ecosystem and reach global customers more effectively.
The partnership also supports the national agenda of advancing digital payment solutions for businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as part of Sri Lanka’s broader initiative towards digital transformation within the financial sector.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) formalizing this collaboration was recently signed by LankaPay and SLTDA at the SLTDA office in Colombo.
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