From payments to planning: Visa launches global travel platform

Visa has entered the travel business with Visa Destinations, a new travel platform for cardholders that features curated experiences, dining, and shopping in 10 global cities, including Paris, London, Dubai, and New York.

The platform also links to the existing Visa Luxury Hotel Collection.

The initiative is supported by a broad partner network. Smart Media Technologies powers the platform, while Trip.com, Star Alliance, and Tiqets—whose acquisition by Expedia was announced last December—provide travel and attraction offerings. Viator also participates as an advertiser.

Beyond those partnerships, Visa has secured direct relationships with major attractions and restaurants, including the Louvre, Disneyland Paris, and Printemps Paris.

Partnerships with iconic tourist attractions are especially difficult to obtain, making the agreements particularly valuable, as Skift points out.

Visa bets on experiences

The move marks a strategic expansion of Visa's role beyond payments, positioning the company at the centre of how travellers discover, plan and experience trips, reads a press release.

According to Visa’s research, travellers are increasingly choosing destinations based on passion, purpose, and experiences, not just geography.

In a recent study by Visa, personal interests surface strongly in the way consumers in Asia Pacific intend to travel – 66 per cent intend to travel for global concert tours, while 54 per cent intend to travel for sports events.

Increasingly, major cultural moments and events are magnets for international visitors and catalysts for local economies.

Available exclusively to Visa customers, through a mobile-first platform, Visa Destinations is described as a “travel companion.”

"Travel demand across Asia Pacific remains strong, but travellers are raising the bar on what they expect from every trip," said T. R. Ramachandran, head of products and solutions, Asia Pacific at Visa, in a statement.

"Our Visa Global Travel Intentions study shows that travellers are more deliberate than ever, prioritizing destinations they trust while seeking flexibility and greater ease in planning. Interest in distinctive local experiences continues to grow.”

“Visa Destinations is expanding across key global locations, using our insights and network to redefine access to experiences that leave a lasting impression while creating new opportunities for our partners across the travel economy."

A "great value to travellers"

Visa Destinations is available and curating experiences in 10 locations, including Paris, London, Dubai, Milan, Rome, Mexico City, New York City, Miami, San Francisco and Thailand. 

Once on board, cardholders can enhance their trips through offerings across dining, entertainment, culture, hospitality, wellness, shopping and transport, such as exclusive viewing moments and Priority Access to Top of the Rock Observation Deck at Rockefeller Centre in New York City and the Musée du Louvre in Paris, as well as dining experiences.

Premium cardholders, including Visa Infinite and Visa Signature, can enjoy enhanced benefits and tailored travel experiences, the company said.

“This partnership with Visa will deliver great value to travellers through exclusive experiences that will make every journey even more memorable. We are excited about the opportunities this collaboration will unlock," said Renato Ramos, vice president corporate strategy at Star Alliance, in a statement.

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