Finland rolls out the cashless experience for Chinese tourists

Finland has just become the first country to offer tourists from China the cashless experience they are so familiar with at home, thanks to an extensive partnership with Alipay.

A group of eight Chinese tourists were recently taken on a 6-day trip to the Scandinavian country, where they were able to use Alipay for everything from shopping and dining to taxi rides and even duty refunds at the airport.

Chinese travelers made up the fifth largest source of tourists in Finland last year, and businesses are lining up to capitalize on their growing numbers. Taxi company Lähitaksi accepts Alipay in their entire fleet of cabs. Hotels such as Nova Skyland Hotel in Rovaniemi and IHG’s Holiday Inn Helsinki’s City Centre are also displaying Alipay’s QR code for payment at their front desks.

In January 2017, national carrier Finnair became the first airline in the world to accept Alipay for in-flight purchases between Helsinki and Shanghai. Alipay was also implemented at the airport taxi in Helsinki and in taxis and buses operated by local taxi company Santa Line across Finland’s northernmost region, Lapland. 

"I am glad to see it is widely accepted among Finnish merchants today, and it demonstrates Finland’s commitment to ensure that Chinese visitors leave our country with an unforgettable experience," said Paavo Virkkunen, Executive Vice President of Finland’s national tourism board Visit Finland.

Thanks to an increase in disposable income, Chinese tourists made a grand total of 129 million overseas trips in 2017. 

"I didn’t expect us to be able to use Alipay almost everywhere in Finland," said Zoe Cai, a 28-year-old housewife from Guangdong Province. "I brought some cash with me, but the only place I got to use it was in a supermarket in Rovaniemi. At first, we were surprised when so many merchants accepted Alipay, but after this experience, we may be surprised if a merchant doesn’t accept Alipay when we travel next time."

Chinese restaurants such as Furuma Cuisine in Helsinki, and Xiang Long in Rovaniemi, were among the first to adopt the mobile payment system. Other local Finnish restaurants like Nili as well as soup store Soppakeittiö hopped on the bandwagon when they realized that travelers will be able to find their restaurants even before their trip starts.

Other than Finland, Alipay is now accepted by merchants in 38 countries and regions, and the company is targeting popular travel destinations such as the US and Southeast Asia.