Strategic Alliance Targets APAC Visitors
On 16th April in Colombo, LankaPay, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), and Alipay+ announced a partnership to drive tourism growth and QR payment adoption in Sri Lanka. This collaboration intends to attract visitors from Asia and the Asia-Pacific region.
Leveraging Alipay+’s global ecosystem, which involves over 40 international partners and reaches 1.8 billion user accounts, the initiative will focus on campaigns aimed at high-value tourists, promoting travel to Sri Lanka and enhancing its appeal as a travel destination.
Visitors using Alipay+ partners can access exclusive offers via LankaQR, Sri Lanka’s national QR payment network. These incentives are designed to boost tourist spending, leading to improved tourism earnings for the country. The initiative aims to support local economic growth by encouraging micro and small merchants to adopt cross-border QR payment acceptance.
Focus on Digital Payment Adoption
The partnership supports digital payment adoption among local merchants, particularly SMEs. By enabling cross-border QR payments, local businesses can engage with global customers more effectively, contributing to the growth of the digital payments ecosystem.
This collaboration aligns with a broader SLTDA strategy to increase the visibility and accessibility of Sri Lanka among priority markets. The effort enhances the country’s position as a digital-led tourism destination. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) formalizing this partnership was signed at SLTDA premises in Colombo, marking the beginning of a long-term collaboration aimed at supporting Sri Lanka’s tourism industry development.
Ant International, the company behind Alipay+, plays a pivotal role in global digital payments and aims to support inclusive growth through collaborations with both public and private sectors. As part of this initiative, Alipay+ will facilitate seamless cross-border QR payments, AI-powered in-app marketing, and travel services.
Responding to evolving global dynamics, Sri Lanka aims to attract more tourists from key Asian and APAC markets. This initiative, driven by Alipay+, is expected to significantly increase international visitor arrivals and tourist spending.
In addition to boosting tourism, the initiative seeks to support local economic growth. Encouraging micro and small merchants to adopt cross-border QR payment acceptance via LankaQR helps them participate in the expanding digital payments ecosystem, thereby reaching global customers more seamlessly.
This strategic collaboration aims to strengthen Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, positioning the island as a leading destination for digital-led tourism in the region. With the support of over 40 international partners, the collaboration is set to make a substantial impact on the local economy.
Last updated: 29 June 2026, 12:25 pm
