UnionPay International eyes upcoming summer travel season

UnionPay’s international business arm said it is well prepared to ride the upcoming outbound summer travel season, with the number of participating merchants doubling from last year and reaching a new high.

The summer campaign this year will cover 70 popular destinations in more than 40 countries and regions. About 20 countries and regions along the Belt and Road region will participate in the promotion, including emerging tourism destinations such as Russia, the Czech Republic and Poland.

UnionPay International will offer some unique benefits for outbound Chinese tourists using its application. For instance, cardholders can purchase tickets in Moscow for Aeroexpress, a Russian air rail link services operator, for only one ruble. Merchants in Hong Kong, Japan and Russia, among other countries and regions, are providing discounts through the company’s mobile payment service.

App users can check out merchant offers, card-using tips, tax refund guides and other practical information via the UnionPay app.

The association said that it is seeing increased acceptance of its application outside China. So far, users of the UnionPay app exceed 70 million, and accepting its payment services has become a way for overseas merchants to attract Chinese tourists, according to UnionPay International.

A recent report released by China CYTS Tours Holding Co Ltd shows that over 60 percent of Chinese tourists who plan to travel during the summer choose foreign countries as their destination.