Visa wins at Asian Experience Awards 2026 for seamless cross-border travel ecosystem

The company connected transport, retail, travel benefits, and payment innovation to deliver more effortless journeys across Asia Pacific.

Visa won Hong Kong Customer Experience of the Year - Financial Technology in the Asian Experience Awards 2026. Through a series of strategic initiatives, the global payments company established a connected cross-border travel ecosystem, removing payment friction for international visitors to Hong Kong whilst enabling smooth journeys for outbound travellers across the region.

To achieve this, Visa rolled out the following initiatives to transform the cross-border payment experience across every stage of the journey:

Frictionless Transit Access for Inbound Travellers: To help inbound tourists navigate the city effortlessly, Visa integrated secure payment capabilities across essential public transport. Visiting travellers gained access to contactless payments on public transit such as the MTR, buses, tramways, the Star Ferry, the Airport Express, and local taxi fleets without needing physical cash or purchasing separate transport cards.

Connecting Mega-Events and Citywide Merchant Networks: Visa also connected mega-event sponsorships with Hong Kong’s merchant networks. Through priority ticketing, on-site benefits, and merchant offers, the company extended the visitor experience beyond event venues into the city’s dining, retail, and hospitality sectors. Strategic retail partnerships automated rewards upon payment and expanded digital wallet support on Apple Pay for mainland China-issued cards.

Seamless Experiences and Perks for Outbound Travellers: For outbound Hong Kong travellers, Visa extended contactless transit acceptance to high-traffic metro systems across major destinations in Mainland China, Taiwan, Tokyo, and Bangkok. Partnerships with international airlines, online travel agencies, and booking platforms provided flight discounts, hotel perks, and other travel benefits. Merchant collaborations simplified in-destination dining and leisure activities, delivering an effortless, worry-free experience for cardholders.

Driven by Payment Innovation and Security: Underpinning these initiatives was Visa’s continued investment in secure payment innovation and robust security infrastructure, including mobile acceptance, advanced tokenisation, and digital wallet integration, giving travellers peace of mind with every transaction.

By connecting every stages of the travel journey—from planning and booking to transport and in-destination spending—Visa helped make cross-border travel more intuitive, convenient, and rewarding.

The Asian Experience Awards recognises the ingenious initiatives of creative companies delivering meaningful brand experiences. It applauds unique, standout, and innovative experience initiatives launched for clients, potential customers, or employees.

The Asian Experience Awards is presented by Asian Business Review Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2027 awards programme and be acclaimed for providing meaningful brand experiences to stakeholders, please contact the awards team at +(65) 3158 1386 or [email protected].