SINGAPORE, 30 January 2019: Sentosa has become the first major integrated leisure destination in Singapore to go cashless for Chinese visitors, with the launch of Alipay’s payment solutions across 70% of merchants that participate in the Sentosa Islander Membership programme.
The new cashless initiative is a joint collaboration between Sentosa Development Corporation Singapore Tourism Board and Alipay, a mobile payment platform operated by Ant Financial Services Group.
STB said in a press statement that the partnership would further enhance guest experiences and enable seamless access to Sentosa and its attractions, F&B and retail outlets for Chinese visitors.
Located just across a short bridge and causeway from the city and shopping districts, Sentosa has over 30 themed attractions, some 200 food & beverage and retail outlets, 15 hotels with over 3,000 rooms, a mega integrated resort (casino), two golf courses and a yacht marina.
The Alipay payment service, which is popular with Chinese travellers, is entering Sentosa at a time when China is growing in importance as a key source market for Singapore.
It was the top market for visitor arrivals (1.7 million), as well as tourism receipts (SGD2 billion) for Singapore in the first half of 2018.
To drive consumer awareness, the three partners will run a marketing campaign entitled Smart Sentosa from now until March 2019. The campaign, comprising various promotions, that are timed to coincide with key travel periods for Chinese visitors such as the Lunar New Year in early February.
The Smart Sentosa campaign offers Chinese visitors the opportunity to grab the Sentosa Islander membership at an exclusive rate of just RMB10 (usual price SGD25; about RMB118) before they arrive.
They can sign-up through various platforms including; Alipay, Fliggy, Taobao, or Tmall, with a virtual Sentosa Islander card appearing in guests’ Alipay accounts after successful registration.
Apart from giving members and one companion unlimited free entry into Sentosa island, the Sentosa Islander membership also offers up to 50% discounts at more than 70 attractions, F&B, hotels and retail outlets to Chinese visitors using Alipay.
These merchants include Universal Studios Singapore®, S.E.A. Aquarium, Adventure Cove Waterpark, AJ Hackett Sentosa, as well as Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa, Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa, and more. To further drive tourist spend, Alipay will be offering users e-vouchers that can be redeemed at any of the participating merchants across Sentosa.
Around 19 million locals and tourists visit Sentosa annually.
According to a recent Nielsen report on outbound Chinese tourism and consumption trends, Singapore was ranked one of the most popular destinations outside of Chinese mainland for Chinese tourists to visit.
In Singapore, Sentosa is a favourite attraction for Chinese visitors and business delegates who convene at the various hotels for seminars and conferences.
STB and SDC have meanwhile jointly rolled out the inaugural ‘Epic Adventures from the Island Beyond’ marketing campaign, in a targeted effort to woo more Southeast Asian tourists to Sentosa.
The ‘Epic Adventures from the Island Beyond’ campaign is aligned with STB’s new Passion Made Possible brand, which focuses on telling the stories of Singapore and its people to build affinity with visitors, as well as connecting with them through their passions.
The campaign consists of advertising across platforms such as print, social media and digital platforms and on-ground activations in markets such as Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.
