Helsinki Airport has announced that it will start accepting Alipay mobile payments for easier shopping activities of Chinese tourists.

According to airport authorities, Chinese passengers are the fastest growing customer group in the airport and they are also the group that use the most money. The recent initiative aims to encourage Chinese travellers to spend more with confidence in the airport. 

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“We work hard to offer them the best possible service experience. Familiar and easy payment options increase the feeling of smooth and safe travel for Chinese passengers,” Finavia's Elena Stenholm, director of commercial services at Helsinki Airport, said.

Helsinki Airport is one of the first airports in Europe to activate Alipay. Other airports accepting Alipay are Munich and Frankfurt.

Airport operator Finavia also said that seven commercial stores are now accepting Alipay, including M-Box, Iittala, Lindroos, Finspiration, and Moomin shops. In addition, Finavia aims to let all commercial operators in the airport accept the Chinese mobile payment service. 

Moreover, Finavia has already improved its airport service for Chinese tourists by putting signs in Chinese and bringing Chinese-speaking service guides. Helsinki Airport is also holding a Weibo account and is planning to open a WeChat account this year.

Helsinki Airport is aiming to be the primary hub for air traffic between Europe and Asia. It also provides the fastest and shortest route between the continents. 

Meanwhile, Ant Financial's online payment platform is the leading mobile payment service in China with an estimated 400 million users.

TagsAlipay, online payment, mobile payment service, Alibaba, Europe, Helsinki Airport, china