Tourism Malaysia MoC with UnionPay International enrich travel experience for Chinese travellers

30 May 2025

SHANGHAI: Tourism Malaysia and UnionPay International officially signed a Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) today at ITB Shanghai 2025, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter to enhance travel and payment experiences between China and Malaysia in the lead-up to the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign.

The ceremony took place at the Tourism Malaysia Pavilion, with Zhuang Bei, Vice President of UnionPay International, and Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, Director General of Tourism Malaysia, emphasising their shared commitment to strengthening tourism cooperation and enriching the travel experience for Chinese visitors. This collaboration is part of a broader, ongoing effort to make overseas spending more seamless and familiar for Chinese travellers.

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 transactions, UnionPay cards are widely accepted; for smaller purchases, Chinese visitors can easily use the UnionPay app to make QR code payments. This combination of card acceptance for substantial expenses and QR code interoperability for everyday transactions ensures that UnionPay cardholders feel at home while exploring Malaysia.

Both parties have agreed to collaborate on joint marketing and branding initiatives to promote wider acceptance of digital payments among tourism-related merchants in Malaysia, as well as to introduce exclusive travel benefits for UnionPay cardholders. This partnership also aligns with the objectives of Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026), a national campaign aimed at revitalising international tourism by enhancing the travel experience and positioning Malaysia as an attractive and accessible destination for Chinese travellers.

"We are genuinely excited to be part of this meaningful collaboration, especially as Malaysia prepares to welcome visitors from around the world for Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026). Malaysia remains 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 strong historical and people-to-people ties between our countries. Through this partnership, we are proud to contribute to making travel more seamless and enjoyable for UnionPay cardholders, while supporting Malaysia’s broader efforts to boost tourism and economic recovery," said Ms. Zhuang Bei, Vice President of UnionPay International.

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

UnionPay International (UPI), a subsidiary of China UnionPay, focuses on expanding and supporting UnionPay’s global business. Working with over 2,600 partners worldwide, UPI enables acceptance in 183 countries and regions, with card issuance in 84 countries and regions. UPI delivers high-quality, cost-effective, and secure cross-border payment services to the world's largest cardholder base, ensuring convenient local services for an increasing number of global UnionPay cardholders and merchants.

Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, known as Tourism Malaysia, is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia. Its mission is to promote Malaysia as a preferred tourism destination. Since its establishment, it has become a significant player in international tourism. The upcoming Visit Malaysia 2026 will celebrate the sustainability of the nation’s tourism industry, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG).