Alipay, a digital payment and service platform, reported that the average spending of outbound Chinese travellers during China’s National Day holiday 2023 — from 29 September to 6 October — has surpassed the level in 2019, as the growth momentum for outbound Chinese tourism since the beginning of 2023 continues.
Shopping continues to be one of the most beloved activities among Chinese tourists when they travel abroad. During the period, the highest expenditure via Alipay was on purchasing goods, including skincare products and duty-free goods, surpassing spending on all other activities. Food and beverages, as well as accommodation, ranked as the second and third largest spending categories, respectively.
In addition to paying for goods and services with the Alipay app, Chinese tourists have increasingly turned to the various digital travel services on Alipay to elevate their travel experience. During the first five days of the holiday, currency exchange, Coupon Hub, tax refund, and transportation were the most used services by Alipay users. A recent survey on Chinese outbound tourism found that Chinese travellers of all ages embrace digital technology in travel planning and prefer mobile payments, with an overwhelming 84% expecting to use mobile payments, such as Alipay. Chinese consumers prefer mobile payments for their transparent and favorable exchange rates (60%), discounts and other value-added services offered (60%), expense tracking facilitation (56%), and safety and convenience over cash (55%).
Chinese travellers also prefer personalized services such as Chinese-language shopping guides (83%) and exclusive offers.
The most popular destinations based on total spending via Alipay remained largely consistent with the previous major holidays this year. Geographically close Asian destinations, including Hong Kong SAR, Singapore and Malaysia, and European countries, such as France and Italy, continued to dominate the list.