Malaysia, Japan the most popular destinations for S’pore residents in cross-border card spending: Visa

SINGAPORE – Malaysia and Japan are Singapore residents’ favourite destinations when it comes to cross-border card spending last December, according to Visa data.

Visa’s affluent card holders, who typically have an annual income of $120,000 or more, are also spending three times more per trip than mass-segment card holders, the company said on Feb 5.

Apart from the year-end period, travel is also a top priority for Singapore residents at other times of the year.

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 an 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 was 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, 2025, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit north-eastern Japan. A month earlier, tensions between Tokyo and Beijing escalated over remarks made by Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi about potential military involvement if China moves against Taiwan.

However, both Hokkaido and Nagano in Japan posted strong gains of 28 per cent and 26 per cent, respectively, in mass-segment card holder spending, indicating demand for snow and winter activities – especially among affluent travellers.

Thailand came in third and South Korea was in fourth place. Visa’s data showed strong spending growth in emerging hot spots 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, driven by 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 spots 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 were accommodation, retail goods and department stores.

Cities like Shenzhen and Chengdu were outpacing longstanding tourist hot spots such as Beijing and Shanghai in tourist spending.

The data 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 the ranking, even as December is typically a peak season for long-haul travel. France fell to seventh place, the UK dropped to eighth, and the United States slipped to 11th from December 2024.

Among the three, France was the only travel destination to post positive year-on-year growth in spending.

Among affluent travellers, the top travel spot in December 2025 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 card holders and maximise their benefits, Ms 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.