(Yicai) May 28 -- The Maldives is encouraging more business owners in the tropical getaway to use WeChat Pay, one of China’s biggest mobile payment platforms, according to a three-year memorandum of understanding signed by the Maldives’ Ministry of Tourism and WeChat Pay yesterday.

WeChat Pay can now be used in many specialty stores and scenic spots in the Maldives, including the airport duty-free store, restaurants such as Sala Thai, and holiday resorts including Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru, said Etienne Ng, director of WeChat Pay for Southeast Asia.

WeChat Pay, which only entered the Maldives last month, is doing well thanks to strong support from banks and vendors, and could log over 8,000 merchants this year, Ng said.

China and the Maldives introduced mutual visa-free travel last February. China is the Maldives’ largest source of tourists and so far this year, the archipelagic state has received 91,000 Chinese tourists. Last year, the number of tourists to the tropical paradise reached a record high of 1.8 million.

The Maldives will soon accept the Chinese yuan for the payment of imported goods, state broadcaster CCTV News reported previously, citing a statement made by the Minister of Economic Development and Trade of the Maldives on April 11.

Rival mobile payment platform Alipay also entered the Maldives last month.

Editor: Kim Taylor