New payment system available at golf courses for Chinese customers 

Investing in infrastructure -

The provincial government is encouraging Prince Edward Island tourism operators to add Motion Pay to their electronic payment offerings for Chinese clientele.
 
Motion Pay allows users of Alipay and WeChat Pay to use QR codes on their mobile phones to make purchases. The system is now in place for customers of the Brudenell, Dundarave and Links at Crowbush Cove provincial golf courses. 

“Our government prides itself on our ability to meet customers’ needs, and this investment further improves our service offerings.” Economic Development and Tourism Minister Chris Palmer said. “We’d like to see more and more tourism businesses adding this service for the benefit of Prince Edward Island’s Chinese visitors and residents.”

Nearly 1,500 Canadian businesses now offer Motion Pay’s service. China’s mobile payment market sees close to $20 trillion US dollars in transactions annually, and more than 90 percent of those are completed using Alipay or WeChat Pay.

“We’ve seen an influx of Chinese tourists visiting the Island and we want to be able to offer a system they are familiar with, at as many attractions and businesses as possible,” Tourism Industry Association of PEI president Robert Jourdain said. “As we continue to support the 2018 Canada China year of tourism, we are delighted to see Island businesses begin to offer this service and we look forward to seeing even more sign up. 

“Members of TIAPEI who choose to support this new payment system will receive preferred pricing on products and services from AliPay and WeChat,” Jourdain added.

The Tourism Industry Association of Canada also recognizes the importance of the Chinese market to the Canadian tourism economy as evidenced by a recent agreement it signed with Union Pay a different payment option for Chinese nationals.

“Motion Pay empowers Canadian businesses to connect with Chinese consumers,” says Riven Zhang, Motion Pay’s CEO and co-founder. “In fact, to offer Chinese consumers their preferred payment method is one of the most significant incentives that influence their purchase behavior when they visit, which consequently benefits the Canadian economy.” 

Tourism is incredibly important to the provincial economy. The industry provides over 7,700 full time equivalent jobs for Islanders and contributes 6.4 percent of the total GDP, which is the highest percentage of any province in Canada.

Media contact:
Andrew Sprague
asgsprague@gov.pe.ca