Southeast Asia surges in popularity amongst Japan’s Golden Week travellers, Travelex data reveals
10 Jun 2026
Sales of South Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and Singaporean currencies surge, while Chinese yuan fell 33% year-on-year
Travelex, the market leading foreign exchange brand, has revealed a significant shift in Japanese tourist travel patterns during this year’s Golden Week period, with sales data showing destinations across Southeast Asia and Korea being favoured over China.
Customer demand for several Southeast Asian currencies rose strongly during the recent holiday season, with travellers opting for shorter-haul destinations. According to year-on-year foreign exchange sales data from Travelex Japan, the number of purchases of Singapore dollar was up 23.6%, followed by Vietnamese dong up 19.9%, Thai baht up 18.2% and Korean won up 13.4%.
In contrast, the number of purchases of Chinese yuan and Taiwanese dollar fell 32.9% and 3% respectively with travel demand to both destinations below pre-pandemic levels.
The decline in demand for Chinese yuan comes amid a backdrop of political and economic tension between Japan and China, contributing to softer travel demand between the two countries. Recent figures from the Japan National Tourism Organisation showed that the number of visitors travelling from mainland China to Japan fell 56.8% year-on-year to 330,700, marking the fifth consecutive month of decline.
“While China has traditionally been a major destination for Japanese tourists, Travelex’s sales data shows Japanese travellers enthusiastically embraced a wider range of destinations and travel experiences for Golden Week across Asia this year,” said Jun Otani, Travelex’s Managing Director - Japan.
“We know from the Travelex Travel Money Insights Report that more than half of Japanese travellers choose to travel overseas with cash for its security and convenience. With Thailand and Vietnam popular destinations and still heavily cash-dependent economies, convenient access to physical travel money is essential, and we’re proud to meet the growing demand among Japanese travellers,” Otani added.
According to a survey conducted by travel agency JTB, the number of Japanese that travelled abroad for this year’s Golden Week was forecast to rise by 8.5% to 572,000, with average spend estimated at ¥329,000 (approximately £1,500 or $2,000).