As the year comes to a close, we took a glimpse of your travel and overseas spending habits in 2019 to uncover the popular hunts in your favourite countries!
Whether it’s a short weekend getaway to Johor Bahru for cheaper Eureka Popcorn or stacking annual leave for a longer 4D3N holiday to Taipei for delicious Taiwanese food, Singaporeans just love to travel.
1. Travel Trends
🌎 Total Countries
Throughout 2019, Singaporean YouTroopers covered a total of 161 countries – that’s 83% of all countries in the world! Whether it’s hot favourites like Malaysia and Japan, or far-flung destinations like Peru and Montenegro, you’ve been travelling. A LOT.
🤑 Total Currencies
While globetrotting, you’ve spent a total of 112 currencies worldwide too!
✈️ Most Popular Countries
Among all countries you’ve visited in 2019, which were the most popular ones? Here are the top 10 most visited countries, in order of YouTroopers’ visit frequency:
- Malaysia 🇲🇾
- Japan 🇯🇵
- Australia 🇦🇺
- United Kingdom 🇬🇧
- Thailand 🇹🇭
- United States of America 🇺🇸
- Indonesia 🇮🇩
- South Korea 🇰🇷
- Hong Kong 🇭🇰
- Germany 🇩🇪
🚶♀️ Gen Y vs Gen X
Gen Y’ers were especially adventurous in their choice of travel destinations, checking in to Luxembourg, Peru, and Saudi Arabia.
Gen Y’ers also travelled more, covering a total of 152 countries compared to Gen X’ers who also logged an impressive 128 countries. Gen Y’ers top continent choices were mostly in Central and South America (40%), and Africa (25%).
2. Overseas Spending Habits
💵 Cash Withdrawals
We’ve noticed that while you were using your YouTrip card overseas, cash withdrawals accounted for 13% of usage. This could be due to merchants being more cash-receptive in certain countries, or you didn’t prepare enough cash in advance.
💰 Daily Budget
To help you plan efficiently for your favourite countries, here’s an average daily budgeting list for each country:
- YouTrip card spend
- Cash withdrawals
- Fees saved with using YouTrip card (based on the average of 3% in foreign transaction fees charged by bank-issued credit or debit cards)
| Country | YouTrip card spend | Cash withdrawal | Savings with YouTrip card |
| Indonesia | S$114 | S$14 | S$4 |
| Thailand | S$151 | S$30 | S$5 |
| Germany | S$128 | S$15 | S$4 |
| Malaysia | S$116 | S$26 | S$4 |
| Hong Kong | S$156 | S$38 | S$6 |
| Korea | S$132 | S$12 | S$4 |
| Australia | S$115 | S$14 | S$4 |
| United Kingdom | S$128 | S$7 | S$4 |
| Japan | S$195 | S$23 | S$7 |
| United States | S$159 | S$10 | S$5 |
3. Overseas Dining
🍽 Dining Expenses
One-third of your YouTrip expenses went to dining. Plus, you spent 34% more on a single dining receipt in Asia than in Europe! We just love our food, don’t we?
In fact, you used YouTrip primarily on dining expenses in offbeat destinations such as Barbados, Guam, and Uzbekistan.
🍟 You Love Familiar Food… and McDonalds!
In the top 10 most popular countries, McDonalds consistently ranks within the top 5 most frequented F&B outlets.
When in non-Asian countries, Asian restaurants like Chinese, Japanese, and Thai always fall within the top 5 most frequented F&B outlets.
🍝 Average Single Dining Receipt in Popular Countries
On average, YouTroopers spent S$67 in one dining receipt in Japan, but only spent S$30 in one dining receipt in Australia!
🍴 5 Most Frequented F&B Outlets in Popular Countries
- Malaysia: 1) Eureka, 2) Din Tai Fung, 3) McDonalds, 4) Meng Meng Roasted Duck, 5) Canton I
- Japan: 1) McDonalds, 2) Starbucks, 3) Kura Sushi, 4) Edokko Sushi (Narita), 5) Isomaru Suisan (Tokyo)
- Australia: 1) Lune Croissanterie (Melbourne), 2) Sushi Hub, 3) McDonalds, 4) Hungry Jacks, 5) Taka’s Kitchen (Perth)
- United Kingdom: 1) Pret, 2) McDonalds, 3) KFC, 4) Burger King, 5) Gold Mine Chinese Restaurant
- Thailand: 1) Laem Charoen Seafood, 2) Roots, 3) Burger King, 4) Mango Tree, 5) McDonalds
4. Overseas Shopping
🛍 Shopping in Europe
You just can’t get enough of retail therapy, can you? Especially in European countries, you spent an average of 7% more than in Asia. That’s not surprising, because most of your shopping expenses went to fashion and luxury brands!
👗 Most Popular International Fashion Brands in Europe
- Zara
- H&M
- Topshop
👠 Most Popular Luxury Brands in Europe
Surprise, surprise (or not)! YouTroopers loved Longchamp when holidaying in Europe. Chanel closed in on second place and finally Tory Burch in third place.
🛒 Shopping in Asia
While holidaying in Asia, your retail therapy doesn’t stop either. You’ve shopped the most in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, contributing to an average of 46% of total overseas spending. That’s almost half!
💸 Average Single Shopping Receipt in Popular Countries
- Malaysia: S$68
- Japan: S$87
- Australia: S$85
- United Kingdom: S$127
- Thailand: S$104
🏬 5 Most Frequented Stores in Popular Countries
- Malaysia: 1) Watsons, 2) Uniqlo, 3) SOGO Department Store, 4) Padini Concept Store, 5) Popular
- Japan: 1) Uniqlo, 2) Don Quijote (Don Don Donki), 3) Matsumoto Kiyoshi Drugstore, 4) Takashimaya Department Store, 5) Daimaru Department Store
- Australia: 1) Lululemon, 2) Target, 3) Adidas, 4) David Jones, 5) Myer
- United Kingdom: 1) Primark, 2) Selfridges, 3) Harods, 4) Poundland, 5) H&M
- Thailand: 1) Naraya, 2) Tokyu Department Store, 3) Isetan Department Store, 4) H&M, 5) EVENANDBOY
Wew, what a ride in 2019! We hope you’ve enjoyed #YouTrippin with your YouTrip card and thank you for being the best YouTrooper, as we work tirelessly every day to be the best multi-currency card!
Whether it’s beating out credit and debit cards, promising zero overseas transaction fees, or simply just committing to the best rates on weekdays AND weekends – we’ve got you covered with the best overseas payment experience.
About Singapore Overseas Spending Report 2019
The Singapore Overseas Spending Report 2019 analyses travel and overseas spending habits of Singaporean travellers. The study was conducted by YouTrip (www.you.co) using consented collected data between September 2018 to 2019 from a randomised sample size of 100,000 Singaporean YouTrip users aged 20 to 60 years old.
Gen Y’ers based on YouTrip users aged 23 to 38 and Gen X’ers based on YouTrip users aged 39 to 54, both within the period of the report. Age range data retrieved from Generates and Age from Pew Research Center on November 12, 2019.
Read: How to Avoid DCC in 2019: SGD vs Local Currency
Read: Travel Insurance Coverages & What to Look Out For
Read: How I Lost S$9,000 in Japan, Tokyo
Read: 12 Travel Hacks To Become a Smarter and Better Traveller
Read: PayPal Currency Conversion and Exchange Rates Guide
Enjoy a worldwide fees-less travel experience!
