Leading mobile e-wallet and payment service provider DaraPay earlier this week announced its partnership with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and online payment platform Alipay.

“With this partnership, Chinese tourists can scan and pay with their Alipay app at all DaraPay merchants, with more than 3,000 outlets in Phnom Penh and in Kandal, Kampong Cham, Siem Reap and Battambang provinces,” DaraPay general manager Phok Ratha told Xinhua News Agency.

Alipay users will no longer be required to withdraw cash or perform cross-app money transfers to make payments in the Kingdom, he said. Purchases can be completed by scanning the special QR codes available at DaraPay-enabled merchant partners.

“We are excited to work with Alipay. Through this collaboration, Alipay users can now benefit from the convenience, simplicity, and security of our integrated system and merchant partners while enjoying their vacation in Cambodia,” he said in a joint statement.

Alipay serves over 1.2 billion users together with its regional partners and is the preferred payment method of Chinese tourists, the statement said.

“Through this strategic partnership, the two partners are looking to integrate their respective systems with one another and offer the market a flexible, on-demand digital payment solution which Chinese tourists can conveniently use during their visit to Cambodia,” it said.

Chinese tourists can benefit by choosing the services of DaraPay’s merchant partners, which include restaurants, cafes, supermarkets, ride-hailing drivers and hotels, it said.

Alipay customers who love shopping for apparel or trying out all varieties of delicious food can enjoy the most popular malls among Chinese tourists – Sorya Centre Point and The Olympia Mall – located in the heart of Phnom Penh.

The future looks bright for the two partners as the number of Chinese tourists visiting the Kingdom continues to grow.

Last year, the Kingdom welcomed more than 1.7 million Chinese tourists, data from the Ministry of Tourism shows.

Earlier this year, Minister of Tourism Thong Khon predicted that the number would rise to three million by next year, five million by 2025 and eight million by 2030.

Ratha said: “The partnership with Alipay is an important step that takes DaraPay to the next level of our business development.

“We do not only collaborate with local businesses but are also actively working with international partners as part of our new strategic roadmap to enter a new horizon.

“In the future, we are looking to collaborate with other international partners to bring better and more innovative services to cater to our customers, both the locals and international ones,” he said.