KL, JB still top year-end destinations for Singaporeans

SINGAPORE: Malaysia is still the number one travel destination for Singaporeans, with Japan taking the number two spot, according to Visa.

Based on data from an international credit card company, Singapore’s closest neighbour to the north is still the most popular for its year-end travellers. Visa said that there was a nearly 20% year-on-year increase in face-to-face card expenses in Malaysia in December, as travel-related spending went up sharply.

There has been “robust spending on accommodation, retail goods, and department stores,” said Visa in a February 6 statement.

Spending growth went up by 17% in Johor Bahru. Kuala Lumpur, meanwhile, did even better, growing by a substantial 31%, which is why the two destinations are at the top for people living in Singapore, according to a report from Bernama.

Convenience, as well as affordability and proximity, are likely to be among the most significant reasons why Singaporeans are still choosing to travel to Malaysia at year’s end most of all.

Penang and resort islands have also grown in popularity among Singaporeans for their trips and getaways, whether they are long or short.

While Japan took the second spot for year-end destinations for Singaporeans, year-on-year, spending growth only went up by 5% in 2025.

Regional travel has been proven to still be the most popular for Singaporeans, as Thailand and South Korea took the third and fourth places for most popular year-end destinations.

Coming in fifth is China, where Singaporeans’ spending growth has gone up by 80% year on year, only slightly lower than 2024’s 86%.

In the same vein, spending growth has also gone up in places in Asia, including South Korea’s Jeju and Busan, and Thailand’s Chonburi and Chiang Mai.

Read also: Money-saving tips for Singaporeans travelling to Malaysia, and why you shouldn’t use your Singdollars to shop over there

The rising ringgit

With the ringgit being the best-performing currency in the region for some time now, some Singaporeans are having a harder time stretching their dollars than before, although many have said it will not stop them from travelling to Malaysia anyway.

In the lead-up to the year-end, as the ringgit grew in strength, there were fewer visitors to Johor Bahru from Singapore, which caused some degree of alarm to businesses in the city.

While the currency’s strength may have been a significant reason for this, others attributed it to traffic and unusually poor weather, as many parts of Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, were affected by storms and flooding. However, based on the statement from Visa, it looks like the visitors picked up substantially during the year-end holidays. /TISG

Read also: Ringgit reaches 7-year high: Singdollar won’t stretch as far as it used to in JB