Singapore Tourism Board and Ant International Deepen Partnership to Accelerate Tourism Growth Through Travel Innovation

SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 26, 2026--

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Ant International, renewed their multi-year strategic partnership to deepen tourism-led economic impact by strengthening Singapore’s position as a world-class destination and delivering seamless digital experiences for global travellers through Alipay+, Ant International’s unified wallet gateway.

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Building on the partnership which began in 2018, STB and Ant International will:

The partnership aims to unlock new growth opportunities for local businesses, in line with STB’s Tourism 2040 roadmap, focusing on cultivating future demand, enhancing Singapore’s appeal as a destination, and developing a future-ready tourism sector.

Ms Melissa Ow, Chief Executive of Singapore Tourism Board said: “We are pleased to renew our strategic partnership with Ant International and look forward to unlocking new opportunities across key markets through Alipay+'s extensive digital wallet network. By combining our destination expertise with their payment technology and data capabilities, we can respond to the evolving traveller demand more nimbly and create a more seamless experiences for visitors whilst driving meaningful growth in tourism spending.”

Digital connectivity drives tourism success in 2025

Building on a successful year for Singapore tourism, the partnership between STB and Alipay+ in 2025 drove record spending via Alipay+ across Singapore’s tourism sector, from major attractions, to services and neighbourhood hawker stalls. According to data from Alipay+, Singapore is amongst the top 5 popular global travel destinations, with transactions increasing 36 percent year-on-year. In line with travellers’ demand for local experiences, spending via SGQR almost tripled from the year before, bringing tangible economic impact to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Via Alipay+, merchants across Singapore can accept 25 international e-wallets and bank apps, enabling travellers from 17 countries and regions to use their familiar home payment apps to make payment locally.

Asian travellers continue to be key drivers of Singapore’s tourism industry. According to Alipay+ data, Mainland China, Malaysia, Hong Kong SAR, the Philippines, and South Korea are the top 5 inbound markets. Transactions by Chinese travellers – Singapore’s largest pool of visitors – increased 26 percent year-on-year in 2025, alongside significant growth from new markets like Kazakhstan and Italy.

While retail remains the most popular activity, travellers are spending more on food and beverage, accommodation, and day-to-day services like transportation, as Singapore caters to a more diverse range of visitors.

“Destinations are dynamic digital ecosystems that connect culture and commerce across borders, driving economic impact and inclusion,” said Peng Yang, CEO of Ant International. “The Singapore Tourism Board has set the benchmark for how innovation, trust and public-private collaboration can power a world-class tourism economy. Together, we will support Singapore’s ambition to inspire not just as a place to visit, but one that shapes the future of travel and its shared value to communities.”

Shaping tourism’s next chapter with AI

The partnership also aims to further enhance Singapore’s global leadership in travel innovation. Both parties will leverage Ant International’s data capabilities to forecast trends, building a future-ready tourism sector while enhancing the experience for visitors.

Additionally, Alipay+ has driven a series of innovations for mobile-savvy travellers, including:

Enhancing Singapore’s global appeal

In 2025, STB and Alipay+ rolled out high-profile marketing campaigns with global celebrities Dylan Wang and Stefanie Sun, to promote Singapore to regional travellers. These campaigns amplified top attractions and digital connectivity in Singapore across multiple channels, including Alipay+’s partner e-wallets to reach travellers directly within the apps they use most, translating inspiration into visits and spending.

The first campaign to roll out for 2026 features Dylan Wang showcasing shopping, attractions and local food spots, ahead of the Chinese New Year, a peak travel season for Asian travellers.

About Singapore Tourism Board

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is the lead development agency for tourism, one of Singapore’s key economic sectors. Together with industry partners and the community, we shape a dynamic Singapore tourism landscape. We bring the Passion Made Possible brand to life by differentiating Singapore as a vibrant destination that inspires people to share and deepen their passions.

More: www.stb.gov.sg or www.visitsingapore.com | Follow us: STB LinkedIn, STB Facebook or STB Instagram

About Ant International

Ant International is a leading global digital payment, digitisation and financial technology provider. Through collaboration across the private and public sectors, our unified techfin platform supports financial institutions and merchants of all sizes to achieve inclusive growth through a comprehensive range of cutting-edge digital payment and financial services solutions. To learn more, please visit https://www.ant-intl.com/

About Alipay+

Ant International's Alipay+ is a unified wallet gateway with cross-border payment and digitisation services that help connect global merchants to consumers. Consumers enjoy seamless payments a broad choice of deals and the convenience of digital services using their preferred payment app/e-wallet while travelling abroad. Many small and medium-sized businesses already use Alipay+ digital tools to enhance efficiency and achieve omni-channel growth.

Alipay+ Voyager is an in-app AI travel agent launched in six of Asia’s largest superapps, that can offer personalised recommendations, deals, essential services like transportation, translation and more, for travellers visiting Singapore.

(L-R) Ms Melissa Ow, Chief Executive of Singapore Tourism Board; Mr Peng Yang, CEO of Ant International

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 26, 2026--

Rising investor demand drove London office yields to their lowest level since 2023, according to data from CoStar, a global leading provider of online real estate marketplaces, information and analytics in the property markets.

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Based on a three-period trailing average, the transaction-based office yield in London decreased by 130 basis points last year, settling at 5.9% at the end of the fourth quarter of 2025.

The average regional yield increased by 70 basis points to 10.5%, marking its highest level since 2013. This widened the yield spread between London and the regions to 460 basis points, the widest in 12 years.

Industrial yields rose to an eight-year high of 7.1%, up 60 basis points since the end of 2024, pushing them to more than 100 basis points above London office yields. Boosted by the online shopping trend, average retail and industrial yields have reached parity for the first time since 2018.

“London’s increasing popularity with investors chimes with data showing a strong rebound in its occupier market,” said Mark Stansfield, senior director of market analytics at CoStar Europe. “The capital was the primary driver of the rebound in national office net absorption in the second half of 2025 and led the way throughout the year.”

“A gap has also opened up between office yields in central London and the central business districts of the ‘Big Six’ regional cities: Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds and Manchester,” said Stansfield. “Average yields across the two segments stand at 5.4% and 9%, respectively, with the 360-basis-point spread one of the widest on record.”

The full analysis can be found here.

For more information about the company and its products and services, please visit www.costargroup.com.

About CoStar Group

CoStar Group (NASDAQ: CSGP) is a global leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, online marketplaces, and 3D digital twin technology. Founded in 1986, CoStar Group is dedicated to digitizing the world’s real estate, empowering all people to discover properties, insights, and connections that improve their businesses and lives.

CoStar Group’s major brands include CoStar, a leading global provider of commercial real estate data, analytics, and news; LoopNet, the most trafficked commercial real estate marketplace; Apartments.com, the leading platform for apartment rentals; Homes.com, the fastest-growing residential real estate marketplace; and Domain, one of Australia’s leading property marketplaces. CoStar Group’s industry-leading brands also include Matterport, a leading spatial data company whose platform turns buildings into data to make every space more valuable and accessible; STR, a global leader in hospitality data and benchmarking; Ten-X, an online platform for commercial real estate auctions and negotiated bids; and OnTheMarket, a leading residential property portal in the United Kingdom.

CoStar Group’s websites attracted over 139 million average monthly unique visitors in the fourth quarter of 2025, serving clients around the world. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, CoStar Group is committed to transforming the real estate industry through innovative technology and comprehensive market intelligence. From time to time, we plan to utilize our corporate website as a channel of distribution for material company information. For more information, visit CoStarGroup.com.

London offices saw the greatest yield compression in 2025