London attractions court Chinese tourists with new Alipay partnership

Merlin Entertainments, owner of popular attractions such as the Coca-Cola London Eye, Madame Tussauds London, the London Eye River Cruise and more, will now accept Alipay for the purchase of tickets and souvenirs for all of its London locations.

Alipay, created by Alibaba Group and operated by Ant Financial, is one of the leading digital payment platforms in China.

The partnership allows Chinese tourists to use the Alipay app to purchase discounted tickets and souvenirs in their home currency and receive an e-ticket.

As part of the deal, Merlin will also send push notifications to help Chinese tourists find attractions when they are in London.

“Alipay is focused on enabling Chinese tourists to experience seamless travel - from the moment they book their flight, through to their transport, shopping, eating and entertainment during their trip,” says Tao Tao, director of business development EMEA at Alipay.

“We’ve made great progress in the retail space, with leading brands across Europe embracing the opportunity to better cater to the lucrative Chinese tourism market. This partnership with Merlin marks a significant step into the attractions and entertainment space for Alipay.”