Sri Lanka Embraces Alipay+ For Cross-Border Payments, Boosting Travel Experiences For Visitors From Italy, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, And China

Sri Lanka Embraces Alipay+ For Cross-Border Payments, Boosting Travel Experiences For Visitors From Italy, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, And China

Sri Lanka partners with Alipay+ to enable seamless cross-border mobile payments, boosting travel for tourists from Italy, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, and China.

Sri Lanka’s National Payment Network has announced a groundbreaking partnership with Ant International, a global leader in digital payments, fintech, and digitization solutions, to introduce Alipay+ acceptance across Sri Lanka. The announcement was made at a press conference on March 25, 2025, held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo. This collaboration will enable over 400,000 LANKAQR merchants in Sri Lanka to accept mobile payments from international tourists and business travelers through 14 global e-wallets linked to Alipay+ during the first phase of implementation.

Alipay+, the cross-border payment solution developed by Ant International, currently connects more than 1.7 billion users worldwide via 36 international e-wallets and banking apps. In the initial phase, travelers from 10 different regions and countries will be able to conveniently use their preferred mobile payment methods by scanning the LANKAQR code at participating merchants across Sri Lanka.

The e-wallet partners included in the first phase of Alipay+ acceptance are Alipay (Mainland China), AlipayHK (Hong Kong), MPay (Macau), Hipay (Mongolia), GCash (Philippines), Changi Pay and OCBC Digital (Singapore), Touch ‘n Go eWallet and MyPB by Public Bank Berhad (Malaysia), Naver Pay and Toss Pay (South Korea), TrueMoney (Thailand), BigPay (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand), and Tinaba (Italy).

The introduction of Alipay+ represents a major step forward in enabling cross-border payments in Sri Lanka, marking a significant milestone for the country’s tourism sector. This new payment solution will cater to travelers from key inbound markets, including Italy, Singapore, Malaysia, and China, as identified by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), as well as other high-growth regions like South Korea and Thailand. International visitors will now be able to make secure, seamless payments using their local e-wallets, providing enhanced convenience for tech-savvy customers and boosting business for local merchants.

Sri Lanka’s tourism industry experienced significant growth in 2024, with a 38% increase in visitor arrivals compared to the previous year. Looking ahead, the country aims to welcome 3 million tourists in 2025 and generate US$5 billion in tourism-related revenue.

LANKAQR is a nationwide initiative introduced by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to standardize and ensure the interoperability of all QR code-based transactions in the country. Launched in 2020, the LANKAQR network is overseen and operated by LankaPay, offering a unified platform that connects consumers, banks, and merchants, creating a seamless payment network throughout Sri Lanka.

The post Sri Lanka Embraces Alipay+ For Cross-Border Payments, Boosting Travel Experiences For Visitors From Italy, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, And China appeared first on Travel And Tour World.March 26, 2025 at 11:12PM