UnionPay and Tourism Malaysia Seal Strategic Partnership at ITB Shanghai to Power Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026)

SHANGHAI, May 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- UnionPay International and Tourism Malaysia officially exchanged a Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) today at ITB Shanghai 2025, marking the start of an exciting new journey to enhance travel and payment experiences between China and Malaysia moving towards Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) Campaign.

The ceremony was held at the Tourism Malaysia Pavilion between Ms. Zhuang Bei, Vice President of UnionPay International, and YBhg. Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, Director General of Tourism Malaysia, underscoring a shared commitment in strengthening tourism cooperation and enhancing the travel experience for Chinese visitors. Part of this collaboration is an extension of its broader, ongoing efforts to make overseas spending more seamless and familiar for Chinese visitors.

In Malaysia, over 90% of merchants accept UnionPay cards, making it more convenient for travellers to pay for both large and small purchases. For bigger ticket items, UnionPay cards are widely accepted, meanwhile for smaller purchases, Chinese visitors can easily use the UnionPay app to make QR code payments. This blend of card acceptance for larger transactions and QR code interoperability for everyday purchases ensures UnionPay cardholders to feel at home while traveling in Malaysia.

Both parties are agreed on joint marketing and branding efforts to promote a wider acceptance of digital payments among tourism-related merchants in Malaysia, as well as introducing exclusive travel benefits for UnionPay cardholders. This partnership also supports the objectives of Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026), a national campaign focused on revitalizing international tourism by improving the travel experience and making Malaysia more appealing alongside accessible to Chinese travellers.

 "We are truly excited to be part of this meaningful collaboration, especially as Malaysia prepares to welcome the world for Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026). Malaysia continues to be one of the most preferred destinations among Chinese travellers—not only because of its rich cultural heritage and natural beauty, but also due to the deep historical and people-to-people ties between our countries. With this partnership, we're proud to contribute to making travelling more seamless and enjoyable for UnionPay cardholders, while supporting Malaysia's broader efforts to boost tourism and economic recovery," said Zhuang Bei, Vice President of UnionPay International. 

Tourism Malaysia emphasized the importance of strategic partnerships in achieving its 2026 tourism goals. The agency noted that providing trusted and widely accepted payment solutions is a key enabler for increasing tourist satisfaction and encouraging repeat visits.

About UnionPay International

UnionPay International (UPI) is a subsidiary of China UnionPay focused on the growth and support of UnionPay's global business. Working with over 2,600 partners worldwide, UPI enables card acceptance in 183 countries and regions with issuance in 84 countries and regions. UnionPay International provides high quality, cost effective and secure cross-border payment services to the world's largest cardholder base and ensures convenient local services to a growing number of global UnionPay cardholders and merchants.

About Tourism Malaysia

Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, also known as Tourism Malaysia, is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia. It focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia as a preferred tourism destination. Since its inception, it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene. The next Visit Malaysia, set to take place in 2026, will commemorate the sustainability of the nation's tourism industry, which is also in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG).For more information, visit Tourism Malaysia's social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and TikTok.

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SOURCE UnionPay International