Skift Take

In a world that’s rapidly going cashless, mobile payments are transforming travel, with Asia leading the charge while the technology spreads globally.

Peden Doma Bhutia

The rebound of global travel in 2024 has been accompanied by the demand for seamless, cashless transactions. Alipay+, Ant International’s cross-border mobile payment and digitalization service, has seen its transaction volumes triple this year.

Talking to Skift, Douglas Feagin, president of Ant International, sheds light on what’s driving this adoption and how it’s shaping the future of travel.

Consumer behavior towards payments have also changed drastically after the pandemic. As use of physical cash went down, mobile wallets and QR code payments became more popular — especially in Asia. Alipay+ launched in 2020 to capitalize on this trend, allowing these travelers to use their local payment apps in foreign countries.

From Local to Global

Talking about the evolution, Feagin said, “Before, these apps were only for local use. Today, millions of users can enjoy the same convenience in global destinations, and this is driving the adoption.”

This shift is largely driven by three factors: simplicity, trust