Bank of Maldives (BML) has formalised two major agreements with Alipay+ and Visit Maldives Corporation, underscoring a shared vision to strengthen the country’s digital payment ecosystem and reinforce the Maldives’ position as a premier resort destination for global travellers, particularly from key Asian markets. On campaigns from 2026, targeting high-growth source markets across Asia. These campaigns are expected to highlight the Maldives’ extensive portfolio of luxury island resorts, locally-owned guesthouses and liveaboards, with a special focus on seamless, cashless experiences from arrival at Velana International Airport to check-out at resort, spa, restaurant or excursion. With more than 180 registered tourist resorts and close to 1,000 guesthouses now in operation, the tourism sector remains the backbone of the Maldivian economy, hosting over 70 percent of visitors in resort properties alone.
For resorts and tourism operators, the collaboration is poised to deliver tangible operational benefits. The partnership with Alipay+ will enable properties to accept a wide range of popular Asian e-wallets through a single integration, allowing guests to pay using the apps they already use at home. Alipay+ already connects hundreds of millions of users across wallets such as Alipay, GCash, Kakao Pay, Touch ’n Go eWallet and others, giving Maldivian resorts improved access to high-spending travellers from China, Southeast Asia and North Asia. This is expected to enhance the guest journey across the archipelago from private island villas and overwater bungalows to spa treatments, specialty dining, diving, and curated excursions, while simplifying reconciliation and settlement for hotel finance teams.
In a separate bilateral agreement, BML and Alipay+ will work together to expand QR-based contactless payment acceptance nationwide and integrate Alipay+ features directly into the BML Swipe App. This will allow resort front offices, boutiques, dive centres and F&B outlets to initiate fast QR-based transactions at any touchpoint, reducing queues at check-out and enabling more personalised service at the villa or table. For smaller guesthouses and excursion operators operating across local islands, the ability to accept secure QR payments via mobile devices is expected to reduce cash-handling risk, streamline daily cash-ups and provide better visibility of revenue flows.
Commenting on the agreements, BML CEO and Managing Director Mohamed Shareef described the partnerships as a transformative step in enhancing the national payment landscape and the country’s visibility in global tourism markets. He noted that the collaboration is designed to unlock economic value by delivering frictionless payment experiences that benefit customers, energise the merchant network and support broader economic growth.
As the largest bank in the country, BML already processes payments across the major international card networks, including American Express, Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay, while supporting leading digital wallets such as BML Pay, WeChat Pay, Alipay, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Through its Merchant Portal and mPOS App, the Bank enables tourism businesses to generate real-time payment links, monitor transactions, and manage online store operations from a single interface, capabilities that are increasingly critical for integrated resort operations where room revenue, ancillary F&B, spa, retail and excursion income must be tracked in real time.
For the Maldives’ resort sector, these developments align with the industry’s continued evolution toward high-value, experience-led travel. As visitor numbers grow and the government targets 2.3 million arrivals by the end of 2025, expectations for frictionless digital services from booking and prepayment to on-island spend are rising. By combining the reach of Alipay+ with BML’s domestic infrastructure and Visit Maldives’ destination marketing, the new agreements are positioned to help resorts and tourism operators deliver a more connected, guest-centric experience, strengthening the Maldives’ reputation as a world-class, digitally ready luxury destination.
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