Australia and New Zealand are in the middle of a tourism boom as people come from far and wide to experience our pristine coastlines, unique wildlife and premium local goods. And the Chinese are a notable cohort visiting our shores, and they’re shopping!

For the first time, Chinese tourists have become Australia’s largest tourism market. Last year more than 1.3 million Chinese tourists visited Australia, spending A$10.4 billion. The next largest market in terms of expenditure was the USA with A$3.8 billion.

In New Zealand, more than 12 per cent of tourists come from China. It is anticipated that by 2023, Chinese tourists will be spending close to NZ$3 billion.

Chinese tourism represents a significant opportunity for businesses in Australia and New Zealand and one company who is looking to bridge the gap between retailers and Chinese tourists is Alipay.

Alipay is the world’s largest mobile and online payment platform. With more than 40 million brick-and-mortar merchants in China accepting Alipay and 600 million active users, it is no wonder its popularity has surpassed traditional cash payments in China.

Many Australian and New Zealand businesses now understand this opportunity and are partnering with Alipay to improve their relationships with Chinese customers.

“Through Alipay, businesses are able to market to Chinese tourists before, during and after their visits to Australia and New Zealand, boosting exposure of their goods and services amongst China’s rapidly expanding middle class,” said Alipay ANZ Country Manager, George Lawson.

“This is done through our one-of-a-kind couponing feature that can be sent to Chinese visitors while in Australia or New Zealand to educate them on promotions or offer a discount,” he said.

There are already many high-profile retailers on-board with Alipay across Australia and New Zealand such as Chemist Warehouse, Priceline, Cue, IGA, Furla, Longchamp, Seafolly, Sunburn, Escada, Chef Galleries, Rimowa, Graphic Sydney, New Balance, Veronika Maine, Pandora, Boutique Optical, Folli Follie, Daiso and  Guillians.

In fact, Alipay has just achieved a significant milestone locally, with more than 10,000 merchants in Australia and New Zealand now accepting the payment method.

The news comes just weeks after Alipay signed a landmark deal with the Bank of New Zealand, which will see all BNZ merchants with a Verifone payment terminal able to process Alipay payments on the spot.

Smartpay, one of Australia and New Zealand’s leading independent EFTPOS and payment providers, has also entered into an agreement with Alipay. This will give over 25,000 merchants the option to accept Alipay payments.

Alipay is also in discussions with retailers at some of the country’s largest shopping centres who are interested in attracting Chinese spend.