Tourism Malaysia and Alipay+, the unified wallet gateway of Ant International, announced on October 13, 2026, in Kuala Lumpur a memorandum of understanding to expand cross-border payments and AI-powered travel services under the Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 campaign. The partnership aims to connect international visitors with local tourism operators and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and to spread visitor spending beyond Malaysia’s major travel hubs.
Key Facts At A Glance
- Tourism Malaysia and Alipay+ announced the MoU on October 13, 2026, under the Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 campaign.
- Alipay+ Voyager, an AI travel agent built into digital wallets, will recommend Tourism Malaysia-verified tourism experiences.
- Tourism Malaysia plans an AI-powered travel subsidy programme covering accommodation, transport and attractions.
- A campaign will offer tourists 20 percent savings through PayNet’s DuitNow at small local businesses.
- More than 600,000 Malaysian merchants received payments through Alipay+ partner wallets and bank apps in the first half of 2026, up over 70 percent year on year.
- Traveller spending through DuitNow via Alipay+ rose more than 60 percent over the same period.
- Financial terms, subsidy values and campaign dates have not been disclosed.
Partnership Scope
The agreement combines the destination marketing of Tourism Malaysia, an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, with Alipay+’s global network of digital wallets and its AI tools. Under the MoU, Tourism Malaysia and Malaysian businesses will be visible directly within partner e-wallets in the Alipay+ ecosystem.
The stated aim is to move visitor spending beyond the country’s main tourist centres and toward smaller operators and SMEs nationwide.
Mohd Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim, Director General of Tourism Malaysia, said the initiative makes it easier for travellers to find Malaysian destinations and access tourism-related benefits digitally. He added that it supports efforts to position Malaysia as a smart tourism destination.
AI Agent, Subsidies And Payments Incentives
The main feature of the partnership is Alipay+ Voyager, an AI travel agent embedded in travellers’ digital wallets. Voyager will recommend cultural, culinary and other experiences verified by Tourism Malaysia, based on each traveller’s interests.
Tourism Malaysia will also introduce an AI-powered travel subsidy programme. Visitors will be able to interact with the digital agent to unlock benefits for accommodation, transport and attractions.
Voyager will also let visitors book local ride-hailing services without downloading separate apps. Ant International said these bookings include protection against timeouts, no-shows and long waits.
For merchants, the partnership includes a campaign offering 20 percent savings through PayNet’s DuitNow to encourage spending at small local shops. Michael Guo, Alipay+ General Manager for Southeast Asia, South Asia and ANZ at Ant International, said “cross-border commerce is evolving beyond the moment of payment.” He said the collaboration is meant to help Malaysian businesses, particularly SMEs, engage international customers rather than only accept their payments.
Alipay+ Activity In Malaysia
According to figures released with the announcement, more than 600,000 Malaysian merchants, mostly SMEs, received payments through Alipay+ partner wallets and banking apps in the first half of 2026. That is an increase of more than 70 percent year on year.
Traveller spending through DuitNow rose more than 60 percent over the same period. Ant International described Alipay+ as the largest contributor to inbound QR transactions in Malaysia. Globally, Alipay+ connects more than 2 billion user accounts with 150 million merchants across 210 destinations and operates through national payment schemes including PayNet.
Publicly available information remains limited. The size of the subsidy programme, the start and end dates of the DuitNow savings campaign, and any financial terms of the MoU have not been disclosed.