Tourism Malaysia has signed a memorandum of understanding with Alipay+, Ant International’s wallet gateway, aimed at expanding cross-border payments and digital engagement across Malaysia’s tourism economy ahead of the Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 campaign.
The agreement links Tourism Malaysia’s destination marketing with Alipay+’s wallet ecosystem and artificial intelligence tools. The parties said the initiative is intended to connect international travellers with local tourism operators and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with a stated goal of spreading visitor spending beyond major hubs.
Tourism Malaysia director general Mohd Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim said digital technology is reshaping travel planning and visitor experiences, and the agency wants to use “digital platforms with extensive international reach” to improve convenience and engagement for travellers during the VM2026–2027 period.
Ant International cited data it said reflected growth in Malaysia’s digital commerce ecosystem: in the first half of 2026, more than 600,000 merchants—primarily SMEs—received payments from Alipay+ partner wallets and bank apps, representing a year-on-year increase of more than 70%. It also said traveller spending via the DuitNow QR scheme increased by more than 60%, and described Alipay+ as the largest contributor to inbound QR transactions nationally. Ant International added that Alipay+ connects more than 2 billion user accounts with 150 million merchants across 210 destinations, and operates through national payment schemes including PayNet.
A key element of the partnership is Alipay+ Voyager, described as an AI travel agent embedded inside participating digital wallets. Under the MoU, Voyager will surface Tourism Malaysia-verified cultural, culinary and experience-based offerings, tailored to travellers’ interests, as a discovery channel for local businesses. Tourism Malaysia also plans to launch an AI-driven travel subsidy programme through the agent, which the parties said would allow visitors to unlock benefits for accommodation, transport and attractions.
The release said Voyager will also provide access to local ride-hailing services within the digital wallet experience without requiring additional app downloads, and includes protections covering timeout, no-shows and long waits.
Tourism Malaysia and Ant International said the MoU is designed to give Malaysian merchants visibility in global e-wallets connected to the Alipay+ ecosystem, support personalised deals during travel, and run an SME-focused campaign offering 20% savings via DuitNow.
The partnership comes as tourism bodies in the region increase investment in digital channels, payments infrastructure and AI-based services to influence traveller decisions earlier in the journey and to strengthen the connection between inbound visitors and smaller, local businesses.
