Ant launches Alipay+ Voyager, an AI travel tool in e-wallets
The service incorporates AI capabilities developed by Ant International and aims to streamline itinerary planning, booking travel, and making in-destination purchases through a single AI-powered interface available in users' local languages.
Alipay+ Voyager is being made available first within three of Asia's largest e-wallets: Alipay (Chinese mainland), AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR, China), and GCash (the Philippines), with plans to introduce the solution to more wallets throughout 2025. The platform is designed to assist travellers globally, including those from Australia, with the objective of simplifying the entire travel process using familiar digital payment and super app solutions.
Service details
The system enables users to plan and book trips, manage activity bookings, and make payments for local services directly from their digital wallet. Integration with over 100 million merchants in the Alipay+ ecosystem promises broad acceptance and support for purchases abroad.
Australian travellers are among those who can expect a more seamless travel experience, with itinerary planning, research, and booking—covering flights, accommodation, and activities—consolidated into one interface. The AI assistant can also help users navigate local purchases and payments using text or voice commands in their language.
Market context
Global trends in travel show an ongoing increase in the use of mobile devices, with mobile already accounting for two-thirds of online travel traffic. Research indicates the online travel market is anticipated to grow by 10% annually through 2032. Younger travellers, including those in the Gen Z demographic, are seeking personalisation and hyperlocal experiences, often accessed through all-in-one mobile platforms.
The expansion of Alipay+ beyond cross-border payments to offer agentic AI capabilities reflects broader industry shifts towards digital solutions that encompass travel planning, booking, and spending. Alipay+ Voyager aims to support both consumers and merchants by simplifying these processes within digital wallets.
Key features
Among the central features highlighted at launch are intelligent end-to-end travel assistance, real-time connections to localised services such as public transport and dining, and proactive service curation. The AI platform is designed to anticipate users' preferences, provide relevant options in real time, and assist with issues such as flight delays or changes in conditions.
For merchants and online travel agents (OTAs), the deployment across multiple major wallets can open access to large and diverse consumer markets through a single integration. The company states that its approach allows tailored engagement with travellers across every stage of their journey, while also supporting small and medium-sized businesses with digital tools for efficiency and growth.
Partner perspectives
Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International, said: Travellers today are using more tech to enhance their trips, and there is a need for the industry to adapt and meet these new and emerging expectations. By integrating a proactive, always-on AI travel companion within digital wallets that consumers already use frequently, we're empowering travel and wallet partners with new opportunities to engage travellers in a more relevant, personalised way, through every step of their journey.
Gil Hazan, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Agoda, commented: At Agoda, we are committed to making travel more accessible and seamless for everyone. By integrating our extensive supply network as one of Asia's leading online travel platforms with Alipay+ Voyager's expansive wallet partnerships, we can offer travellers a more convenient and personalized booking experience. This collaboration enables us to reach a broader audience and provide tailored travel solutions that cater to the diverse needs of today's travellers.
Forward plans
Ant International's Alipay+ Wallet Tech team has been collaborating with partners since 2015 to develop digital payment and security solutions. The company indicated intentions to build further agentic AI suites to serve different industries via its Alipay+ GenAI Cockpit platform. The ongoing expansion of Alipay+ Voyager to additional partners is expected throughout 2025, increasing its relevance for outbound travellers worldwide.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
10 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Govt and construction giant reach agreement on hospital build
Australian construction giant CPB is set to build the new Dunedin hospital inpatient building after years of fraught negotiations and government dithering. The inpatient building was originally tabled as necessary in a business case to the government in June 2017, but since then there have been rising costs and changes in ministers and project bosses. Now, a "letter of intent" has been agreed between Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora (HNZ) and CPB, meaning the firm should be awarded the contract to deliver the building on the former Cadbury site. A letter of intent can also mean a firm can work on a project prior to the contract being signed. There are already diggers back on site — working on the building's foundations — and billboards proclaiming CPB's involvement went up around the perimeter yesterday. The action on-site means that at least one ministerial promise has come true. In January, after the latest round of delays and a public march by thousands last year, health minister Simeon Brown promised work would resume mid-year. Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich said the build should have happened in 2018, but described the activity on-site as "very exciting after such a long delay ... hopefully, it means a rapid resumption of work — the sooner the better." CPB had expected to sign a contract at the start of 2023, after it had already spent 18 months delivering an Early Contractor Engagement contract (ECE) for the project. The ECE, signed in August 2021, had required it to plan the build and pull together a team of subcontractors. For the past two years, the firms have been waiting for a minister to approve the project and CPB has been involved in government discussions about contract details. CPB has a history of delivering government projects that have resulted in challenges down the track, including rising costs, delays and legal wrangles. Projects have included the North Island's Transmission Gully motorway, the Christchurch Hospital acute services building and the Christchurch Parakiore sports centre, which CPB had claimed was costing more than three times as much to build as originally contracted. In April last year, the ODT unearthed a government briefing about the new Dunedin hospital, from treasury officials to finance minister Nicola Willis, saying HNZ was "reconsidering whether to continue" with CPB on the inpatient build, despite being the preferred contractor. Since the Treasury note, there have been further delays, including redesigns aimed at achieving savings and even a review of whether the build should go ahead. The work on site is led by construction firm Ceres, which holds the contract for some of the building's substructure. It is highly likely that Ceres will finish its part of the contract then hand over to CPB for completion of the main build. Although there was a recent tender for a part of the substructure, sources say they do not anticipate a third main contractor will lead any part of the substructure's build. However, Mr Brown said the contract for the substructure works had not yet been awarded.
NZ Herald
11 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Restaurants have a nervous eye on an upcoming deadline when steeper tariffs kick in
Brazilian coffee beans, French champagne and Chinese teas. Drinks are a profit driver for United States restaurants, but higher import costs have eaten into margins and fed into consumer prices in the three months since President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping global tariffs. A stone's throw from the White House, a
Techday NZ
14 hours ago
- Techday NZ
Ant launches Alipay+ Voyager, an AI travel tool in e-wallets
Ant International has launched Alipay+ Voyager, an artificial intelligence-driven travel companion built into digital wallets, with initial support from travel platforms including Agoda, Fliggy and The service incorporates AI capabilities developed by Ant International and aims to streamline itinerary planning, booking travel, and making in-destination purchases through a single AI-powered interface available in users' local languages. Alipay+ Voyager is being made available first within three of Asia's largest e-wallets: Alipay (Chinese mainland), AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR, China), and GCash (the Philippines), with plans to introduce the solution to more wallets throughout 2025. The platform is designed to assist travellers globally, including those from Australia, with the objective of simplifying the entire travel process using familiar digital payment and super app solutions. Service details The system enables users to plan and book trips, manage activity bookings, and make payments for local services directly from their digital wallet. Integration with over 100 million merchants in the Alipay+ ecosystem promises broad acceptance and support for purchases abroad. Australian travellers are among those who can expect a more seamless travel experience, with itinerary planning, research, and booking—covering flights, accommodation, and activities—consolidated into one interface. The AI assistant can also help users navigate local purchases and payments using text or voice commands in their language. Market context Global trends in travel show an ongoing increase in the use of mobile devices, with mobile already accounting for two-thirds of online travel traffic. Research indicates the online travel market is anticipated to grow by 10% annually through 2032. Younger travellers, including those in the Gen Z demographic, are seeking personalisation and hyperlocal experiences, often accessed through all-in-one mobile platforms. The expansion of Alipay+ beyond cross-border payments to offer agentic AI capabilities reflects broader industry shifts towards digital solutions that encompass travel planning, booking, and spending. Alipay+ Voyager aims to support both consumers and merchants by simplifying these processes within digital wallets. Key features Among the central features highlighted at launch are intelligent end-to-end travel assistance, real-time connections to localised services such as public transport and dining, and proactive service curation. The AI platform is designed to anticipate users' preferences, provide relevant options in real time, and assist with issues such as flight delays or changes in conditions. For merchants and online travel agents (OTAs), the deployment across multiple major wallets can open access to large and diverse consumer markets through a single integration. The company states that its approach allows tailored engagement with travellers across every stage of their journey, while also supporting small and medium-sized businesses with digital tools for efficiency and growth. Partner perspectives Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International, said: Travellers today are using more tech to enhance their trips, and there is a need for the industry to adapt and meet these new and emerging expectations. By integrating a proactive, always-on AI travel companion within digital wallets that consumers already use frequently, we're empowering travel and wallet partners with new opportunities to engage travellers in a more relevant, personalised way, through every step of their journey. Gil Hazan, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Agoda, commented: At Agoda, we are committed to making travel more accessible and seamless for everyone. By integrating our extensive supply network as one of Asia's leading online travel platforms with Alipay+ Voyager's expansive wallet partnerships, we can offer travellers a more convenient and personalized booking experience. This collaboration enables us to reach a broader audience and provide tailored travel solutions that cater to the diverse needs of today's travellers. Forward plans Ant International's Alipay+ Wallet Tech team has been collaborating with partners since 2015 to develop digital payment and security solutions. The company indicated intentions to build further agentic AI suites to serve different industries via its Alipay+ GenAI Cockpit platform. The ongoing expansion of Alipay+ Voyager to additional partners is expected throughout 2025, increasing its relevance for outbound travellers worldwide.
