Beijing Hosts PATA–Visa Training for Chinese Tourism SMEs on Digital Marketing and International Payments

(IN SHORT) PATA and Visa are hosting their first SME capacity-building workshop in Beijing, equipping Chinese tourism businesses with digital-marketing strategies, visitor-friendly international payment solutions, and data insights on inbound travellers. This follows similar programmes across Southeast Asia and is supported by key local and regional partners. The training addresses China’s advanced mobile-payment landscape and the challenges foreign visitors face when paying with overseas cards. By introducing scan-to-pay and tap-to-pay options, and teaching SMEs how to leverage tourism data, the initiative aims to enhance service quality and operational efficiency for accommodation providers, agencies, operators, eateries, and attractions.

(PRESS RELEASE) BANGKOK, 2025-Jun-16 — /Travel PR News/ — This week in Beijing, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), together with our Premier Partner Visa, is delivering a targeted capacity-building workshop for small and medium–sized travel and tourism enterprises (SMEs) in China. As PATA’s first SME-focused training in the country, the programme will arm local businesses with hands-on tools to boost their digital presence, streamline international payments, and better accommodate inbound travellers.

Building on successful sessions held since 2023 in Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines, this China edition tailors its curriculum to address the country’s unique digital landscape. While China leads globally in mobile wallet usage, many inbound visitors struggle to pay with foreign-issued cards. Our workshop will introduce visitor-friendly, low-cost payment solutions—such as scan-to-pay and tap-to-pay—that align with international payment habits, helping merchants improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Participants will also explore the latest inbound tourism data and spending patterns to refine their service offerings. Through practical digital-marketing modules, SMEs will learn to reach customers both at home and abroad, strengthening their competitiveness in a rapidly evolving market.

“The recovery and future resilience of tourism SMEs is central to PATA’s mission,” said PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid. “In partnership with Visa and supported by leading local organisations, we’re thrilled to bring this vital training to China. Our goal is to empower these businesses with the digital and financial skills they need to attract and serve international travellers.”

Visa Mainland China Vice President & General Manager Xiaolong Yin added, “Through this initiative—part of our 20-city tourism SMBs empowerment campaign—we’re introducing secure, visitor-friendly payment tools that help small businesses capture the booming inbound tourism market. From the Visa-CUP Zone launch on the Beijing Central Axis to today’s workshop, we remain committed to enabling seamless cross-border spending.”

The workshop is offered in collaboration with the China Tourism Association, China Tourism Academy, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, World Tourism Cities Federation Committee of Tourism-Related Business, Beijing Culture and Tourism Association, and Dragon Trail International. Attendees will include hoteliers, travel agents, tour operators, restaurateurs, and attraction managers.

Media contact:
Tel: +66 (0)2-460-9264
E-mail: communications@PATA.org

SOURCE: Pacific Asia Travel Association