Milan: admission to the Duomo can be paid with Alipay's app

Alipay, the world’s largest mobile payment platform operated by Ant Financial Services Group(an Alibaba Group company), and the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo, an entity responsible for the preservation and enhancement of Milan’s iconic cathedral, have launched a collaboration to improve information, reception and access services for Chinese tourists.

Starting today, it will be possible to pay for admission to the Duomo from your cell phone through the Intesa Sanpaolo-enabled POSs found at official ticket offices and the Duomo Shop. The app will also allow access to special offers and dedicated services. The agreement stems from a desire to get closer to the demands of Chinese tourists, who are accustomed to using mobile and the Alipay app in almost every shopping experience thanks to familiarity with the interface and dialogue in their own language, and an excellent opportunity for the institution to improve its welcome and see the number of visitors from the Far East grow.
The President of the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano, Fedele Confalonieri, explained, "The collaboration with Alipay confirms that strategy of welcoming the more than 2 million tourists a year to which the Veneranda Fabbrica is working daily, to make the Monument increasingly open and accessible. This innovative project, which is integrated into Milan’s social and productive context, aspires to become a reference case in digital tourism, representing an important occasion of social and cultural encounter between Italy and China."

Jane Jiang, one of the founders of Alibaba and currently Alibaba’s Chief-of-Staff for International Business, was present during the signing of the agreement, commenting in this regard, "Italy represents a very promising country for us in our development strategies, in which we are and want to continue to invest. cultural tourism is a strong attraction for Chinese citizens who love to travel, and Milan Cathedral is the destination par excellence for Chinese tourists in Europe. Alipay is honored to be able to collaborate with the Veneranda Fabbrica and make its contribution to the Duomo."

All this was made possible thanks to Intesa San Paolo whose Head of the Global Transaction Banking Department, Stefano Favale, pointed out, “From the very beginning we have been able to intercept and proactively support this fine initiative, thanks to the historic relationship with Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo and the dynamic partnership with Alipay, all supported by the reliability of the acquiring services made available by Intesa Sanpaolo.”

Photo: the Duomo of Milan. Credit Marco Nürnberger

Milan: admission to the Duomo can be paid with Alipay's app

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