KUALA LUMPUR: As the nation gears up for Visit Malaysia Year 2026, domestic hotels must be proactive and have a unified digital strategy and identify robust payment platforms, particularly for international guests, that can integrate seamlessly into their operations and offer the agility to adapt to shifting trends.

Adyen country manager for Malaysia Lee Soon Yean said many international travellers, especially those from China, rely on platforms such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay – methods that are not only preferred but, in some cases, the only options available.

He said the limited reach of credit cards such as Visa and Mastercard in China causes inconvenience for Chinese tourists during check-in or payment processes.

“The absence of relevant payment systems forces hotels to fall back on cash deposits, creating an outdated and cumbersome guest experience. Real-time digital payments reduce cash handling, eliminate currency exposure, and accelerate settlement in preferred denominations.

“Whether the guest is paying in ringgit, US dollar or renmenbi, hotels receive prompt and accurate reconciliation, improving cash flow and minimising risk,“ Lee told SunBiz.

He said if Alipay dominates this year, WeChat Pay surges next year, and switching or adding a payment system should be as simple as toggling on a feature, not rebuilding a new system from scratch.

Beyond payments, Lee said hotels must think ecosystem-wide – tomorrow’s bookings might come via TikTok Shop or through a Facebook campaign.

A digital-first mindset, supported by technology partners capable of managing omnichannel engagement, is key to staying competitive, he added.

“While global trade tensions, such as the US-China trade war, may not directly affect tourist flows, they do influence consumer behaviours, particularly around currency usage and trust in cross-border systems.

“Hotels that remain rigid in their payment acceptance may find themselves alienating key market segments.

“To make the most of this opportunity, hotels must leave their comfort zones and commit to building seamless, flexible, and guest-centric operations. The world is watching and Malaysia must be ready,” Lee said.

He pointed out another growing concern – fraud, particularly third-party booking fraud.

In some cases, he said, illegitimate agents use stolen cards to book hotel rooms for unsuspecting travellers. When the cardholder’s bank eventually flags the transaction, the reservation gets cancelled – but the guest has already paid the fraudulent intermediary and now faces the prospect of being double charged at check-in.

To prevent such incidents, Lee said, hotels must implement robust risk management processes at the point of booking. This includes advanced fraud checks and adopting card tokenisation, where the real card number is replaced with a secure, encrypted version that systems can use but humans cannot see.

This makes the entire payment journey safer for both guests and hotels, he said.

“Tokenisation, once considered cutting-edge, is now being embraced by major platforms like Apple Pay and Google Pay. In these ecosystems, each card has a virtual version tied only to the app, adding another layer of security.

“Mastercard and Visa, recognising the importance of this technology, are actively encouraging hotels and merchants to adopt tokenisation as a new standard,” Lee said.

Hotels should therefore choose technology partners that provide tokenisation as part of their core offering and not treat it as a lock-in tactic. “The goal is to enhance guest trust, not increase long-term vendor dependency,” he added.

As Visit Malaysia Year 2026 approaches, Lee said the hospitality industry finds itself at a pivotal point.

Rising tourist expectations, evolving payment preferences and digital-first travel habits are reshaping how hotels must operate.

Hotels must ensure seamless integration across reservation systems, property management, food and beverage, and in-premise experiences to deliver a secure and frictionless guest journey.

“Security and convenience are now paramount. Guests expect their data and card details to be protected, charged accurately, and processed without delays. Manual interventions at check-in or billing errors erode confidence and diminish the overall experience.

“Tokenisation – the process of replacing sensitive card data with encrypted identifiers – offers a secure, invisible layer of protection. Done right, it revokes human access to card data while still allowing smooth transactions, reducing fraud risk, and improving operational efficiency,” Lee said.