Sep 26, 2025
Travel in 2025 is more connected, convenient, and cashless than ever. Forget fumbling with foreign coins or tracking down currency exchange kiosks; today’s travellers are tapping, scanning, and paying their way around the world with digital wallets in hand.
According to Visa, 97% of travellers in Asia now prefer digital payments. In China’s tourism hotspot Harbin, foreign tourist spending via mobile wallets surged nearly 8× this year, reaching $26 million. And this isn’t just an Asia-Pacific trend; it’s reshaping travel globally.
Digital payments are doing more than simplifying the tourist experience; they’re driving real economic growth. According to the Mastercard Economics Institute’s "Travel Trends 2024", digital payments have played a major role in record-breaking leisure travel spending, even in destinations struggling with infrastructure or operational challenges. Places like Dubai and Mauritius have seen booming tourism economies, partly fuelled by seamless digital payment ecosystems.
In South Africa, tourists are not only spending more but extending their stays, thanks in part to the ease of mobile and contactless transactions, a clear sign that frictionless payments contribute directly to longer, more rewarding travel experiences.
For tourists, it’s about safety, speed, and control. Mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Alipay, and Google Pay eliminate the need to carry large sums of cash. Currency conversion tools and multi-currency cards like Wise or Revolut offer transparency and better rates, making budgeting abroad much easier.
For local businesses, from safari guides to surf shops, digital payments mean faster transactions, broader reach, and even access to international marketing platforms. Tools like QR payments and mobile money (e.g., M-Pesa) are helping small businesses in emerging markets connect directly with global tourists.
But it’s not all smooth sailing. 80% of travellers abandon bookings due to failed payments or limited options, according to Getnet. For the travel industry, this is a clear message: a bad checkout experience can cost you the customer.
Nonetheless, the economic potential is massive. The global online travel booking market hit $817 billion in 2023, on track to reach $1.2 trillion by 2027, and digital payments are powering this growth. Nearly 90% of Gen Z and Millennial travellers use mobile wallets abroad, and most say they prefer them over cards or cash.
On this World Tourism Day, it’s clear: digital payments are more than a convenience, they’re a catalyst. They open doors for small businesses, fuel national tourism economies, and make travel more accessible, secure, and enjoyable.
The next time you travel, you might not need a phrasebook or a paper map, or even cash. Just your phone, a tap, and a world of experiences ahead.
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