Malaysia, Japan are most popular destinations for S’pore residents in cross-border card spending
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Visa’s affluent cardholders are also spending three times more per trip than the mass segment cardholders.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
SINGAPORE - Malaysia and Japan are Singapore residents’ favourite destinations when it comes to cross-border card spending in December, according to Visa data.
Visa’s affluent cardholders, who typically have an annual income of $120,000 or more, are also spending three times more per trip than the mass segment cardholders, the company said on Feb 5.
Apart from the year-end period, travel is also a top priority for Singapore residents.
A separate Visa study revealed that close to six in 10 consumers in Singapore are planning to make big-ticket purchases on travel – ahead of property, education, luxury items, healthcare and automobiles – said Ms Adeline Kim, Visa’s country manager for Singapore and Brunei.
Malaysia was the top travel destination for Singapore residents in December, recording a 18 per cent year-on-year increase in cross-border card spending.
Year on year, Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru recorded 31 per cent and 17 per cent growth in spending, respectively, from Singapore residents.
While Japan is the second top travel destination in December, year-on-year growth in spending was 5 per cent, lower than in previous years, likely influenced by natural disasters and regional tensions, said Visa.
On Dec 8, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit north-eastern Japan escalated over remarks
However, Hokkaido (+28 per cent) and Nagano (+26 per cent) posted strong gains in mass segment cardholder spending, showing demand for snow and winter activities – especially among affluent travellers.
Thailand came in at the third spot and South Korea was fourth place. Visa’s data showed strong spending growth in emerging hotspots such as Chiang Mai and Chonburi in Thailand, and Busan and Jeju in South Korea.
In South Korea, healthcare was the top spending category for Singapore residents, driving nearly 90 per cent year-on-year growth, which Visa said signals a growing trend of people seeking medical services abroad.
Mainland China jumped eight positions to fifth place, compared with the same period in 2024, as cross-border spending in China by Singapore residents surged nearly 80 per cent year on year. Top spending categories are accommodation, retail goods and department stores.
Cities like Shenzhen and Chengdu are outpacing longstanding tourist hotspots such as Beijing and Shanghai in tourist spending.
The trends underscored a clear shift towards shorter-haul travel during the year-end period, said Visa.
France, the United Kingdom and the United States slipped in ranking, even as December is typically a peak season for long-haul travel.
From December 2024 to December 2025, France fell to seventh position, the United Kingdom dropped to eighth, and the United States slipped to 11th place.
Among the three, France was the only travel corridor to post positive year-on-year growth in spend.
Among affluent travellers, the top travel destination in December was Japan, followed by Malaysia and France.
Overall spending in Japan is also slightly higher among affluent Singapore residents, growing 7 per cent year-on-year.
To cater to the changing needs of cardholders and maximise their benefits, Visa country manager for Singapore and Brunei Adeline Kim said that the payments technology firm is introducing a new and enhanced suite of benefits across the affluent and travel segments.
These benefits will cut across dining, accommodation and experiences, she said.
