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(Yicai Global) Sept. 5 -- Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.'s [NYSE:BABA] smartphone-based e-payment service, Alipay, run by Ant Financial Services Group, has formally entered the Norwegian market, offering services to Chinese travelers and local businesses, state-owned news agency Xinhua reported yesterday.
Alipay's services will improve Chinese customer satisfaction and help Norwegian businesses build a stronger bond with Chinese consumers, said Michael Chen, chief executive of Alipay's North European marketing partner APay Nordic AS.
The number of Chinese travelers to Norway has continued to rise in recent years, and China has become a key market for Norway's tourism industry. Introducing Alipay will therefore make the country more user-friendly for Chinese tourists, said Per Holte, head of tourism in Asia and Latin America at government institution Innovation Norway.
Dinnergruppen, an operator of high-end Asian restaurants, and The Thief Hotel, a luxury waterfront hotel, are the first to adopt Alipay payments.
APay Nordic will step up its Alipay marketing efforts and introduce the mobile payment service to more businesses in the country.