LOS  ANGELES—October 1, 2014—Westfield Travel Collection shopping centers, located in key travel destinations around the United States, now accept UnionPay (CUP) for the purchase of Westfield gift cards. The program provides shoppers from China easy access to hundreds of the leading retailers and services in the United States using a Center gift card, even if the store does not yet accept the fastest growing bankcard in the world.

Sold at Westfield Guest Service or at special kiosks at participating centers, Westfield gift cards  may be used at all retail and restaurant locations at Westfield Centers.  The latest fashion trends in all aspects of retail--fashion, accessories, menswear, jewelry and electronics are showcased at the Centers nationwide along with entertainment, nightlife, health and fitness options.

UnionPay is already accepted by all retailers and restaurants at the Westfield shopping and dining collection at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport. The retail collection at the Tom Bradley terminal showcases well-known luxury designer brands in beautiful and convenient surroundings.  Dining options include a sophisticated lineup that unites LA and global flavors for a traveler-friendly mix of healthy and fresh casual, fine dining, and grab-and-go options with panache.   

The UnionPay program is now in place at Westfield Century City (Los Angeles); Westfield Countryside (Clearwater, Florida); Westfield Garden State Plaza (Paramus, New Jersey); Westfield Horton Plaza (San Diego, Calif.); Westfield Montgomery (Bethesda, Maryland); Westfield San Francisco Centre; Westfield Santa Anita (Arcadia, Calif.); Westfield Southcenter (Seattle, Wash.); Westfield UTC (La Jolla, Calif.), and Westfield Valley Fair (Santa Clara, Calif).        

China is the world's fastest-growing economy and the nation has been ranked the world's second largest economy (after the United States) since August, 2011.  In 2012, 83 million Chinese traveled internationally, a spike of 18 percent from the previous year. The escalation is a result of China's granting the U.S. "approved destination status" in 2007 and the executive order from the office of the president in 2012 to reduce the time it takes to get a visitor's visa at an American consulate in China from 100 days to less than one week.

According to Visit California, the state is the top U.S. Destination for Chinese visitors. In 2013, 819,000 visited, an increase of 22.5% over the prior year, and spent $19.8 million, an increase of 17.5% over the previous year, or $2,377 per person per California trip.

Chinese globe-trotters continue to be the highest spenders on shopping. The activity ranks number one in interest for Chinese visitors during their almost two-week average stay.

In 2013, Florida saw 266,000 Chinese visitors, an increase of 32% over the previous year and the largest increase by any nation to visit the Sunshine state.

Currently, China is New York's fourth-largest market for overseas visitors—rising from 13th in 2009. An estimated 646,000 Chinese tourists visited New York City last year. What's more, the world's most populous nation could soon become the city's number one visitor market.  However, many Chinese tour operators and tourists opt for more affordable hotel rates in Paramus, New Jersey, home of Westfield Garden State Plaza.

“Westfield Travel Collection Centers have prepared to cater to visitors from China because this country is the strongest growth market in the current tourism economy,'' said Shaun Swanger, Westfield Vice President, Marketing. “The United Nations World Tourism Organizations forecasts that 100 million Chinese will be traveling abroad in 2015—and California's port of entry numbers give us a glimpse of what we can expect in our key U.S. destinations.   Westfield Travel Collection Centers are among the most popular locations as they feature distinctive American shopping and fine dining – two activities that are very important to visitors from China.  Westfield Gift Cards represent an invitation for them to shop at any store in our centers with confidence and convenience.”

Established in 2002, UnionPay is widely acknowledged as a crucial and pivotal part of the banking industry.  Chinese shoppers will recognize the official, distinctive UnionPay logo at participating centers and at LAX's Tom Bradley International Terminal.  There is a transaction fee of $3 for each card purchased with a minimum of $10. Guests may also use China UnionPay at Westfield Guest Services.

Westfield Travel Collection centers also offers LanguageLine, an on-demand three-way video interpretation service in over 200 languages, including Mandarin, Cantonese, and regional dialects. The service is available at Westfield Guest Services, where highly-trained ambassadors assist with itinerary planning, dinner reservations, transportation inquiries, coordinating spa appointments, gift suggestions and more. The service is available at these Westfield Shopping Centers:  San Francisco, Valley Fair (Silicon Valley) Century City (Los Angeles), UTC (San Diego), Garden State Plaza (Paramus, New Jersey), and Montgomery (Bethesda, Maryland/Washington D.C.).  An ATM and Currency Exchange are conveniently located near Westfield Guest Services.

About Westfield Travel Collection:

Westfield, a name synonymous with fashion and style worldwide, includes the Westfield Travel Collection, a select group of shopping centers located in key U.S. travel destinations offering brand and designer shopping, café and signature dining, and seasonal entertainment experiences. 

The Westfield Travel Collection centers include San Francisco Centre and Valley Fair in the San Francisco Bay Area, Century City and Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, Horton Plaza and UTC in San Diego, Countryside in Tampa/Clearwater, Florida and World Trade Center in New York coming in 2015.

About Westfield:

Westfield Corporation (ASX: WFD) is a global leader in the design, development, and operation of premier retail destinations with interests in 40 shopping centers in the United States and United Kingdom, along with a major development site in Milan, Italy.  In the U.S., Westfield's portfolio of 38 shopping centers includes more than 6,700 retail shops across 46 million square feet of space in California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Washington.

Media Contact:

Susan Wilson, Publicist, Westfield Travel Collection, susanwilson129@gmail.com

480-824-3015