HONG KONG, May 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 22, at the TAB Global Financial Technology Innovation Awards 2025 ceremony held by The Asian Banker ("TAB"), WeBank Technology Services and Fusion Bank were jointly awarded the Best Core Banking Technology Initiative (Small Bank) in Asia Pacific for their collaborated project of Next-Generation Core Banking System.
The TAB Global Financial Technology Innovation Awards is one of the most prestigious benchmarking awards for technology innovation leadership and performance in the global financial services industry. The Best Core Banking Technology Initiative specifically acknowledges institutions with exceptional technological advancement in core banking systems. This is the first time in three years that a Hong Kong digital bank won at the TAB Global Financial Technology Innovation Awards, indicating the technological leadership of the project's collaborative achievement.
The award-winning project was launched to enhance Fusion Bank's digital service capabilities and meet its business innovation and cost-efficiency needs to ensure the bank's sustainable development. The project covered upgrade of over 150 subsystems across five core business areas of Fusion Bank, and was completed with a swift cutover in just 15 hours. The data in legacy systems from various vendors were seamlessly migrated to the new core banking system within merely six hours. Supported by WeBank Technology Services with its core banking system solutions, the project has set a new benchmark in banking system upgrade for the banking industry in Hong Kong.
Leveraging the distributed architecture design from WeBank Technology Services, the upgraded system can now scale on demand according to business growth, solving the previous pain points of high upfront IT investment. Additionally, it further enhances the business agility and shortens the time-to-market for new product launches, through parameterized products, process orchestration, and AI-native capabilities. After the new system went live, the product development cycle of Fusion Bank was reduced from an average of six months to three months, with non-human IT costs expected to be cut by 53% by 2027. Notably, the new system is widely compatible with mainstream software and hardware, offering the advantages of openness and being technology-agnostic.
The Asian Banker highlighted: "WeBank Technology Services and Fusion Bank have demonstrated exceptional innovation through the successful execution of this technology initiative, effectively addressing current and future business needs while enhancing service capabilities. This has resulted in notable business outcomes, significant efficiency gains and enhanced customer value, surpassing industry peers."
Billy Chiu, Chief Technology Officer of Fusion Bank, said: "We are truly honored to be the only Hong Kong digital bank receiving this award in the past three years. It is a significant recognition for both Fusion Bank and WeBank Technology Services. The upgrade of our next-generation core banking system shows our ongoing commitment to advancing financial inclusion through fintech, making our banking services more accessible and efficient for a broader segment of the community."
As the wholly-owned fintech arm of WeBank, WeBank Technology Services leverages the parent company's leading practices in digital banking, focuses on providing digital finance and digital infrastructure solutions globally. Currently, WeBank Technology Services is expanding its partnership with multiple institutions across markets like Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Qatar.
About WeBank Technology Services
Launched in Hong Kong in June 2024, WeBank Technology Services sets out to leverage WeBank's cutting-edge fintech capabilities and digital finance best practice to deliver a variety of superior digital finance and digital infrastructure solutions to digital banks, financial institutions, government agencies, and industry partners worldwide.
About WeBank
Established in 2014, WeBank Co., Ltd. ("WeBank") is the first digital bank in China. WeBank provides convenient financial services to micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and the public, and continuously improves the quality of services in response to customers' specific needs. WeBank has served over 420 million retail customers and 5.8 million enterprises.
WeBank has pioneered the development of the world's first fully distributed next-generation core banking system using standardized hardware and open-source software. It maintains an exceptional system availability of 99.999% with peak daily transaction exceeding 1.4 billion, while the annual IT O&M cost per account remains as low as USD 0.3, only one-tenth of the industry average.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
WeBank Technology Services Wins International Fintech Award
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HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Jan. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital travel platform Agoda reveals that Vietnam is becoming an increasingly popular year-end travel choice for families in the region and beyond. Based on searches made between September and November 2025 for stays during December 2025 and January 2026, Agoda recorded a 30% increase in family travel interest to Vietnam compared with the same period the previous year.
Agoda data shows that Vietnam is attracting more international families than ever this winter holiday season. South Koreans take the lead as the top market interested in traveling to Vietnam in December and January, with families from India, Singapore, Australia, and Malaysia rounding out the top five. Notably, Agoda reported that Indian families showcased the highest growth in travel interest to Vietnam during this period, with a 186% increase in searches. Malaysians also, are expressing strong growth in interest, with a 74% increase in searches, highlighting Vietnam's appeal as a family destination in Southeast Asia and beyond.
Families are choosing Vietnam for its storied culture and cuisine, diverse landscapes, and abundance of family-friendly resorts and attractions.
Phu Quoc Island leads as the most sought-after destination among international family travelers with a 47% increase in searches, popular for its sandy beaches, calm waters, and nature parks ideal for multi-generation vacations. Da Nang follows with 42% growth in travel interest, noted for its beaches, soft adventure activities, and access to Ba Na Hills theme park. Nha Trang comes in third place, remaining a favorite for its long coastline, family-oriented resorts, and island experiences. In fourth place, Ho Chi Minh City appeals with its vibrant food scene, entertainment complexes, and day trips to the Mekong Delta. In the north, Hanoi continues to draw families with its cultural landmarks, museums, and festive atmosphere, rounding out the top five most family-friendly year-end destinations in Vietnam.
Meanwhile, although Vietnamese families traditionally travel less internationally at the end of the year – typically preferring to wait for the Lunar New Year - China is becoming a noticeable exception. Among the top 20 outbound destinations preferred by Vietnamese families during the December-January period, searches for Shanghai increased 58%, while Beijing increased 59%. This shift is supported by the launch of new direct routes between Hanoi and selected Chinese cities earlier this year, making end-of-year overseas trips more accessible than ever.
Vu Ngoc Lam, Country Director at Agoda, said: "It is wonderful to see Vietnam increasingly chosen as an end-of-year holiday destination for families from across Asia and beyond. Agoda's data shows that travelers are recognizing Vietnam's family-friendly appeal, which further strengthen its position on the global travel map. As more families plan their festive-season or year-end getaways, we are delighted to support them through Agoda's simple, intuitive platform and our wide range of stays, flights, and activities."
With over 6 million properties, 130,000 flight routes, and 300,000 activities, all bookable in one seamless itinerary, Agoda helps families plan memorable year-end holidays, whether they choose a peaceful beach break, a cultural city escape, or an international exploration to mark the close of the year.
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Jan. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital travel platform Agoda reveals that Vietnam is becoming an increasingly popular year-end travel choice for families in the region and beyond. Based on searches made between September and November 2025 for stays during December 2025 and January 2026, Agoda recorded a 30% increase in family travel interest to Vietnam compared with the same period the previous year.
Agoda data shows that Vietnam is attracting more international families than ever this winter holiday season. South Koreans take the lead as the top market interested in traveling to Vietnam in December and January, with families from India, Singapore, Australia, and Malaysia rounding out the top five. Notably, Agoda reported that Indian families showcased the highest growth in travel interest to Vietnam during this period, with a 186% increase in searches. Malaysians also, are expressing strong growth in interest, with a 74% increase in searches, highlighting Vietnam's appeal as a family destination in Southeast Asia and beyond.
Families are choosing Vietnam for its storied culture and cuisine, diverse landscapes, and abundance of family-friendly resorts and attractions.
Phu Quoc Island leads as the most sought-after destination among international family travelers with a 47% increase in searches, popular for its sandy beaches, calm waters, and nature parks ideal for multi-generation vacations. Da Nang follows with 42% growth in travel interest, noted for its beaches, soft adventure activities, and access to Ba Na Hills theme park. Nha Trang comes in third place, remaining a favorite for its long coastline, family-oriented resorts, and island experiences. In fourth place, Ho Chi Minh City appeals with its vibrant food scene, entertainment complexes, and day trips to the Mekong Delta. In the north, Hanoi continues to draw families with its cultural landmarks, museums, and festive atmosphere, rounding out the top five most family-friendly year-end destinations in Vietnam.
Meanwhile, although Vietnamese families traditionally travel less internationally at the end of the year – typically preferring to wait for the Lunar New Year - China is becoming a noticeable exception. Among the top 20 outbound destinations preferred by Vietnamese families during the December-January period, searches for Shanghai increased 58%, while Beijing increased 59%. This shift is supported by the launch of new direct routes between Hanoi and selected Chinese cities earlier this year, making end-of-year overseas trips more accessible than ever.
Vu Ngoc Lam, Country Director at Agoda, said: "It is wonderful to see Vietnam increasingly chosen as an end-of-year holiday destination for families from across Asia and beyond. Agoda's data shows that travelers are recognizing Vietnam's family-friendly appeal, which further strengthen its position on the global travel map. As more families plan their festive-season or year-end getaways, we are delighted to support them through Agoda's simple, intuitive platform and our wide range of stays, flights, and activities."
With over 6 million properties, 130,000 flight routes, and 300,000 activities, all bookable in one seamless itinerary, Agoda helps families plan memorable year-end holidays, whether they choose a peaceful beach break, a cultural city escape, or an international exploration to mark the close of the year.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Agoda Data Shows Vietnam Rising as a Favorite End-of-Year Destination for Families Across Asia and Beyond
