Travel spending surged during the 2025 Chinese New Year, with Alipay reporting significant increases in China’s inbound and outbound travel transactions. This boost in spending highlights a growing trend of Chinese travellers and international visitors using digital payment solutions while exploring new destinations.
Outbound spending saw a 30% year-on-year increase in transactions across Alipay’s global merchant network. Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and South Korea were the top destinations, with Singapore witnessing a 56% rise in Alipay spending, while Japan recorded a 40% increase.
Long-haul travel also showed growth, with Alipay transactions in Europe rising by 30%. Notably, spending on local experiences, including meals and transportation, surged. In particular, spending on food increased by 33% for meals, 36% for snacks, and 54% for desserts. Local transportation spending, including buses, subways, and ride-hailing, grew by 139%.
On the inbound side, Alipay reported a 150% year-on-year increase in travel spending from international visitors to China during the first five days of CNY. Spending from countries with visa-free access to China rose by 200%. Over the first four days of the holiday, the number of overseas e-wallet users making payments in China nearly doubled, with AlipayHK, Malaysia’s Touch ’n Go, and Macao’s MPay topping the list.
This surge in spending reflects the growing trend of international travellers using Alipay’s cross-border payment solutions, which now support 13 e-wallets in addition to domestic options.