MasterCard Spending During Shanghai World Expo

Total spending by MasterCard cardholders in Shanghai during the Shanghai World Exposition (Expo) 2010, held between 1 May and 31 October 2010, more than doubled from the same period last year. The total number of transactions made by MasterCard cardholders in Shanghai also rose by just over 100% during the Expo period.

MasterCard cardholders from the United States, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan were the top spenders at the Expo. The top spend category for all overseas cardholders was Restaurants and Bars (excluding hotels).

From May to October this year, MasterCard collaborated with local retailers and merchants by offering "priceless" experiences and enticing dining offers for cardholders through "Flavors of Shanghai", a marketing campaign featuring an innovative digital platform. During the same period, cardholder expenditure registered a 94% increase in Shanghai's restaurants and bars.

Carrie Liu, Deputy General Manager of Shui On Development Limited from Xintiandi, a retail and entertainment center that collaborated with MasterCard on the "Flavors of Shanghai" campaign, said, "We are delighted to team up with MasterCard during the Expo. The joint promotions for MasterCard cardholders clearly encouraged them to enjoy the fantastic dining experiences in Shanghai. The campaign has helped businesses in Xintiandi, so we're very happy. MasterCard's support of Shanghai's economy during the Expo has had a very positive impact."

During its six month run, the 2010 Shanghai World Expo attracted over 4 million overseas visitors, accounting for 5.8% of the total attendees, according to numbers released on 9 November by the National Statistics Bureau in China.

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