The way people plan their holidays is changing. Instead of choosing a destination first and figuring out what to do later, more travellers are starting with the experiences they want, and then deciding where to go.
With this shift in mind, Klook and Visa have announced a new partnership across six Southeast Asian markets: Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Through a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the two companies will bring together Klook’s travel experiences with Visa’s payment network. The partnership will cover creator programmes, cardholder offers, in-destination brand activities, as well as Klook joining Visa Destinations, Visa’s travel platform.
Travellers Are Choosing Experiences First
Travel demands across Southeast Asia remains strong despite global challenges, according to both Visa’s 2026 Global Travel Intentions study and Klook Travel Pulse 2026.
More importantly, the studies show that experiences are becoming a bigger part of how people decide where to travel.
Visa found that 37% of Asia-Pacific respondents plan their trips around unique local experiences, compared to the global average of 29%.
Klook’s findings tell a similar story. More than half of Asia-Pacific travellers no longer start planning a holiday with a fixed destination in mind. Meanwhile, 23% begin with a specific activity and then choose their destination based on where they can experience it.
As the question shifts from “Where should I go?” to “What do I want to do?”experiences are also taking up a growing share of Southeast Asian travellers’ holiday budgets.
As part of the partnership, Klook will support Visa across Southeast Asia through joint marketing and promotional activities, including Klook offers made available through Visa Destinations channels.
Creators Are Playing A Bigger Role in Travel Plans
Social media continues to be an important source of travel inspiration, but the type of content travellers trust is also changing.
As AI-generated content becomes more common online, Klook and Visa see real-life creator content becoming increasingly valuable. Watching a creator actually visit a destination or try an activity can give travellers more confidence that what they are seeing is real before making a booking.
This is why the partnership will also introduce a shared creator framework across Southeast Asia.
Klook currently has more than 30,000 creators across 88 markets through its Klook Kreator Programme, a global community that connects travel content with booking opportunities.
Under the new partnership, affiliate links from Visa creators will be hosted on Kreator Shops, Klook’s revamped creator storefronts that launched in August 2026.
Bringing Inspiration, Booking And Rewards Together
Gradys Chan, Head of Marketing, Regional Southeast Asia at Visa, said travel continues to play an important role in shaping Southeast Asia’s cultures and economies.
She explained that the travel journey begins long before someone makes a payment. By combining Visa’s payments network with Klook’s creator community, the partnership aims to bring Visa Destinations to more travelers while connecting cardholders with experiences they value.
Sarah Wan, General Manager for Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand at Klook, also noted that travellers are increasingly deciding what they want to do before deciding where they want to go, with creators playing an important role in those choices.
She said the Klook Kreator Programme allows travellers to move from seeing a recommendation to booking it, while the Visa partnership adds payments and rewards into that journey.
With travel becoming more about memorable things to do rather than simply places to visit, Klook and Visa’s new partnership puts experiences, creators, and easier access to travel rewards at the centre of the journey.
