13 August 2008
International tourists travelling to Beijing to watch the Olympics spent almost $10 million (£5.2 million) on their Visa credit cards during the first day of the games. Figures from the credit card provider show that Britons were the fifth biggest spenders, accounting for 6% of the total spend on Visa credit, debit and prepay cards. North American and Japanese tourists spent the most, representing 19% and 13% of total spending respectively. Accommodation and retail purchases made up the majority of the transactions made, Visa confirmed. Visa is an official sponsor of the Olympics and is the exclusive credit card of the Beijing 2008 games. This means it is the only credit card accepted in the Olympic venues. The credit card provider reported strong earnings in its third fiscal quarter, buoyed by transactions across the globe. It said the number of Visa cards issued worldwide increased by 14% to 1.6 billion during the period.
© 2008 Adfero Ltd
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