Bank of Maldives has signed two landmark agreements with Alipay+ and the Visit Maldives Corporation, in a move that ties together destination marketing and next generation digital payments to capture growing tourism flows, particularly from Asia.
Under the new tri party framework, BML, Alipay+ and Visit Maldives will roll out co branded tourism promotion campaigns starting in 2026. The initiative is designed to position the Maldives more aggressively as a preferred holiday destination while ensuring that visitors, especially from key Asian source markets, can pay seamlessly using familiar QR based and wallet driven options.
The collaboration focuses on three pillars, coordinated destination marketing, merchant enablement and digital infrastructure upgrades. Joint campaigns will target travelers in markets where Alipay+ and its partner wallets have deep penetration, with the aim of converting digital wallet users into Maldives visitors and channeling more tourism spending through the formal payment ecosystem.
In parallel, BML and Alipay+ will work together to deploy new secure digital payment solutions across the country. The partnership will expand acceptance of contactless QR payments and integrate Alipay+ features directly into the BML Swipe App, giving both local customers and merchants a smoother experience at the point of sale. For merchants, this means access to a wider base of international customers who can transact using their preferred wallets, while BML gains additional transaction volume and data visibility.
BML CEO and Managing Director Mohamed Shareef described the agreements as a turning point for both tourism and payments, noting that the partnerships are intended to deliver cutting edge, seamless payment experiences that benefit customers, energise the merchant network and support broader economic growth.
The bank currently processes payments from all major card schemes, including American Express, Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay, alongside leading digital wallets such as BML Pay, WeChat Pay, Alipay, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Its Merchant Portal and mPOS App already provide businesses with an integrated online payment solution, from generating real time payment links to monitoring transactions and managing online store operations, and the new Alipay+ integration is expected to strengthen this digital suite further.
By tying destination promotion directly to frictionless payments, the agreements are set to deepen the link between tourism branding and day to day spending, positioning the Maldives to compete more aggressively for high value visitors in an increasingly digital travel market.
