Japan top leisure destination for Pinoys
Japan emerged as the top leisure destination for Filipinos, with 32 percent of travelers visited the country the past year, followed by Singapore (22%), Hong Kong (21%) and Thailand (18%) as most popular destinations, according to a study.
Green Shoots Radar study by Visa, world’s leading digital payments leader, analyzes consumer sentiments across various sectors, such as financial services, commerce, and travel. The study reveals a surge in travel frequency among Filipino travelers.
For business trips, Singapore (25%) led the list followed by Japan (23%), and the United States tied with Hong Kong at 18 percent.
Based on the data, 24 percent of surveyed Filipino respondents have traveled overseas for leisure or business purposes in the past year. This trend aligns with a broader travel resurgence across Asia Pacific, with 37 percent of those surveyed reporting overseas travels within the same period.
Filipino travelers prefer to book flight tickets directly from the provider’s website (44%). Among those respondents who booked their accommodations through Online Travel Agencies and paid the full amount upon booking, using credit cards is the most popular payment mode (41%), followed by mobile/e-wallets (28%).
Jeff Navarro, country manager for Visa Philippines, said, "As crossborder travel gains momentum in the Philippines and the region, we have a significant opportunity to maintain visibility throughout travelers' journeys. This involves being present during destination searches and bookings, using Visa cards on travel apps for smoother transactions, and engaging consumers with authentic travel and shopping content to create secure and seamless digital payments experience for everyone, everywhere."
The future of travel remains promising, with 65 percent of Filipino respondents planning overseas leisure travel in the next 12 months. The top three leisure destinations intended in the next 12 months are Japan (38%), followed by South Korea (29%) and Singapore (16%). For business travel, Japan (19%), Canada (13%), and South Korea (12%) are the most likely destinations.
Meanwhile, Visa’s Global Travel Intentions 2023 study showed that majority (89%) of Filipino travelers used credit (44%) and debit (39%) cards when travelling, for the benefits of cards’ wide acceptance (56%), accepted at ATMS (49%), and ability to be used both online and within apps (43%).
Visa’s most recent Consumer Payment Attitudes 2023 study data also reflect cards as the preferred mode of payment when travelling, where 25 percent of surveyed Filipinos use credit or debit cards online and 21 percent use via swipe or insert when traveling overseas.