AUGUST 11 - VISA, one of the International Olympic Committee's TOP sponsors, announced today that visitors to Beijing spent $10 million (£5.23 million) on its credit, debit and pre-paid cards on the opening day of the Games.

 

Visa says money spent by tourists in the Chinese capital on its cards on August 8 showed an increase of 11 per cent over the same day last year.

 

The card network said its client financial institutions in China have installed more than 90,000 ATMs and signed up some 216,000 merchant locations or outlets throughout country to help prepare for the expected influx of international visitors. 

 

The biggest Visa spenders on the day that the spectacular opening ceremony took place were from United States, followed by Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and the United Kingdom.

 

Visitors from these five countries accounted for more than half of all Visa card spend the day, the firm said.

 

Richard Chang, Visa's vice-president for Greater China and the Philippines, said: "A safe and efficient payment system is important to the host country of the Olympic Games as visitors from all over the world expect to be able to make electronic payment as they do at home.

 

"To this end, Visa is committed to help China develop a world-class financial infrastructure, and is working closely with the Government, tourism bodies and client financial institutions to build a robust electronic payment system in China."

Visa, the first international company to commit itself to sponsor the London 2012 Games, is the only accepted credit card in Olympic venues during the Olympic sand Paralympics.