Photo caption: Representatives of SLTDA, LankaPay and Alipay+ from left to right, Mr. Dinuka Perera, Deputy Chief Executive Officer – LankaPay (Pvt) Ltd ; Mr. Udana Wickramasinghe, Director, Research & International Relations of SLTDA ; Mr. Buddhika Hewawasam, Chairman – SLTDA ; Mr. Channa De Silva, Chief Executive Officer – LankaPay (Pvt) Ltd ; Mr. Michael Guo, General Manager, SEA ANZ South Asia – Alipay+ ; Mr. Sittipong (Pok) Kittiprapapong, Country Manager -Thailand, Philippines, and Emerging Markets – Alipay+ ; Ms. Britzee Capili, Business Development Manager – Philippines, Sri Lanka and Maldives – Alipay+ ; Mr. Tommy Yeoh, Regional Director of Global Affairs & Strategic Development, South Asia & ASEAN (ex SG, ID & VN) – Ant International
Sri Lanka has strengthened its position as a digitally enabled travel destination with the launch of a strategic tourism partnership aimed at expanding inbound travel, accelerating digital payments, and attracting high-value visitors from key Asia-Pacific markets.
The collaboration brings together the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), LankaPay, and Alipay+, the global cross-border digital payments ecosystem operated by Ant International. The agreement is designed to enhance the country’s tourism competitiveness by integrating seamless payment solutions with targeted international marketing initiatives.
Strengthening Sri Lanka’s digital tourism ecosystem
At the core of the partnership is the integration of Alipay+ with LankaPay’s national QR payment network, LankaQR, enabling international travellers to make cashless payments across participating merchants in Sri Lanka. The system connects more than 40 global e-wallets and banking applications, collectively reaching over 1.8 billion user accounts worldwide.
Through this infrastructure, visiting travellers using Alipay+ partner apps will gain access to exclusive offers and promotions when transacting via LankaQR. These incentives are expected to enhance visitor engagement, influence spending behaviour, and contribute to increased tourism revenue.
The Memorandum of Understanding formalising the collaboration was signed at the SLTDA headquarters in Colombo, marking the beginning of a coordinated effort to embed digital payment solutions more deeply into Sri Lanka’s tourism ecosystem.
Targeting high-value APAC source markets
The initiative is closely aligned with Sri Lanka’s broader tourism strategy, which prioritises growth from Asia-Pacific markets amid shifting global travel patterns. By leveraging Alipay+’s extensive digital network, the partnership aims to improve destination visibility in key outbound markets and attract higher-spending international travellers.
The platform’s integration of AI-powered marketing tools, in-app travel services, and cross-border QR payment capabilities is expected to streamline the visitor experience while enhancing Sri Lanka’s accessibility as a travel destination.
According to stakeholders, this approach supports a dual objective: increasing tourist arrivals while also boosting per-capita spending through improved convenience and targeted engagement.
Supporting SMEs and digital adoption
Beyond international marketing, the initiative is expected to deliver significant benefits to Sri Lanka’s domestic economy, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism sector.
By enabling wider acceptance of cross-border QR payments through LankaQR, local merchants—including hotels, restaurants, transport providers, and retail operators—will be able to directly transact with international visitors. This expanded digital acceptance is expected to drive financial inclusion and encourage greater participation in the formal digital economy.
The partnership also aligns with national efforts to accelerate financial sector digitisation, supporting broader economic transformation through technology-driven tourism infrastructure.
Public–private collaboration for tourism growth
Ant International, which operates Alipay+, continues to play a growing role in facilitating cross-border digital commerce and financial inclusion across tourism and retail sectors globally. Its collaboration with Sri Lanka’s tourism and payments authorities reflects a wider trend of public–private partnerships aimed at modernising visitor economies.
Officials have described the initiative as the first phase of a longer-term roadmap between LankaPay and SLTDA, focused on integrating technology solutions into tourism development and strengthening Sri Lanka’s global competitiveness as a digitally connected destination.
As international travel continues to recover and evolve, Sri Lanka’s emphasis on digital payments and seamless visitor experiences positions the country to compete more effectively for high-value travellers in an increasingly technology-driven global tourism market.
