SHANGHAI, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 August 2026 – From tapping into the metro and paying at local shops to claiming tax refunds, booking family stays and unlocking dining benefits, Shanghai Summer 2026 is introducing visitor-focused products designed to make exploring the city easier for international travellers.
Running from July to October under the theme "Shanghai Summer, Join the Family Fun," the international consumption season brings together payment networks, banks, hospitality groups and mobility providers to improve the visitor journey.
As a global strategic partner of Shanghai Summer, Visa is expanding its payment-friendly network across the city. Visa's contactless "Tap to Pay" experience covers dining, accommodation, transport, tourism, shopping and entertainment. Visa data shows that in the first quarter of 2026, offline card spending by international visitors in Shanghai increased by more than 50% year-on-year, while transaction volumes rose by more than 60%.
China UnionPay is expanding its support for international visitors through the Nihao China App, an all-in-one digital platform combining payments, transportation, travel information and multilingual services. Available in more than 160 countries and regions, the app allows users to top up with international Visa or Mastercard cards and pay via UnionPay QR codes at more than 100,000 merchant locations. It also supports metro and bus travel in Shanghai, real-time translation, navigation and instant tax-refund services.
Bank of China Shanghai Branch has launched an upgraded Tax Refund 2.0 programme during Shanghai Summer. The initiative expands tax-refund services into hotels, supermarkets, restaurants, attractions and international talent service centres, supported by integrated POS refund functions and self-service tax-refund machines.
For travellers navigating the city, Shanghai Pass combines transportation, sightseeing and merchant benefits in one product. The card can be used across Shanghai's metro, buses, ferries, suburban railways, Maglev services and taxis, while cardholders can access privileges at nearly 150 merchants.
Jin Jiang International is taking a similar integrated approach through its "2026 Jin Jiang ∞ Journey, Shanghai Summer" programme, combining hotels with cultural attractions, dining, guided city experiences and family entertainment. Its Shanghai Gourmet Passport 2.0 also connects dining, hotels and cultural experiences for international travellers.
Together, these products are making payment, transport, tax refunds, hotels, dining and attractions more connected — helping international visitors move more freely, pay more simply and experience more of Shanghai.
Hashtag: #ShanghaiSummer
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How Optism’s Ecosystem Is Transforming Autism Support Across Hong Kong and Asia
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 August 2026 – OPTISM, Asia's first integrated autism support ecosystem, has crossed a major milestone after reaching 100,000 users across Hong Kong and the wider region.
Founded in 2024, the platform has scaled rapidly to meet a large gap in regional support for families navigating autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In many Asian markets, families often face long public sector waiting lists and a fragmented network of resources when seeking guidance.
The platform is backed by the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund (SIE Fund) and Oxfam Hong Kong to build out and scale the network.
"Reliable content and resources lie at the heart of what we do," said Founder Carmen Li, who started the platform based on her personal experience raising her 15-year-old son Vincent. "AI gives us the speed to point a parent in the right direction at 2 a.m., but it is our dedicated panel of real-world practitioners and professionals who provide the human sanctuary parents actually need."
The platform currently operates through four main services:
- Expert Hub: Asia's first specialized triage network that links caregivers directly to a cross-disciplinary panel of 30 practitioners, legal professionals, and support specialists across 10 different fields.
- Ask Optism 2.0: Our 24/7 bilingual chatbot providing immediate support and information in both English and Traditional Chinese, powered by Optism's rich ecosystem of trusted autism content and resources.
- Parents Forum: A peer community that uses real-time translation to let families connect across different languages and regional cultures.
- Autism Marketplace: Your trusted guide to finding vetted local therapists, specialized support centers, and inclusive community programs tailored to your child's needs.
Following its initial scale, the platform is now preparing for its next phase of growth. "This milestone is just our baseline," Li said regarding OPTISM's future.
The company's upcoming roadmap focuses on expanding its footprint across Asia. Next steps include onboarding localized practitioners and professionals in neighboring countries, establishing corporate partnerships, and growing its digital infrastructure to ensure families do not have to navigate autism support in isolation.
Hashtag: #optism #autism #autismsupport #hkstartup #healthtech
https://optism.co
https://www.linkedin.com/company/optism-official
https://www.instagram.com/optismofficial/
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
OPTISM
OPTISM is Asia's first integrated autism support ecosystem dedicated to empowering parents and caregivers.
Founded in 2024, the platform leverages an advanced AI triage system to bypass traditional information silos, instantly routing user queries directly to a vetted regional panel of top-tier ASD practitioners and specialists.
We bring ASD support expertise and peer community resources together to provide reliable, localized, empathetic care to families navigating neurodiversity across the region.
** This press release is distributed by Media OutReach Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
Asia's First Integrated Autism Ecosystem
