Visa Redefines Its Role in Travel With the Global Launch of Visa Destinations

Visa , a global leader in digital payments, announced the launch of Visa Destinations, a passion-led travel platform live in 10 major locations around the world, as the company redefines its role in the rapidly growing experience-driven travel economy.

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The move marks a strategic expansion of Visa’s role beyond payments, positioning the company at the center of how travelers discover, plan and experience trips. According to Visa research, travelers are increasingly choosing destinations based on passion, purpose, and experiences, not just geography. In 2025 alone, 4 in 10 American travelers made a trip to experience music, sports or art festivals¹, with major cultural moments acting as magnets for international visitors and catalysts for local economies.

Available exclusively to Visa customers, through a mobile-first platform, Visa Destinations is designed around why people travel, whether they are drawn by food, fashion, sports or simply wandering the streets for hidden gems, it delivers tastemaker recommendations, city guides, and curated experiences to support Visa’s shift from being the way to pay for travel to becoming a travel companion.

“Travel is expected to grow 10% annually over the coming years². It consistently shows resilience to the world’s events and consumers protect it. Our latest Visa Global Travel Intentions Study indicates customers will cut back on everyday spending to save for planned travel,” said Katya Petelina, Head of Global Cross-Border and Global Sales & Commercial Operations at Visa. “With Visa Destinations, we are accompanying travelers throughout their journey and helping them discover the moments that make a destination memorable, while giving our issuers and merchant partners a meaningful way to participate in the economic growth that travel creates.”

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 curated 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 Center in New York City and the Louvre in Paris, as well as dining experiences tastemakers recommend.

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

Strong partnerships behind Visa Destinations

Visa has partnered with global leaders across the financial and travel ecosystem to increase the platform’s value proposition. Global anchor partners include financial institution Santander Group, promoting Visa Destinations to their customers in key regions around the world, and travel partners Global Blue, Star Alliance, and Trip.com Group. Together, these partnerships provide Visa cardholders with exclusive access, premium benefits, and locally distinctive experiences that bring cardholders closer to the character of each destination.

• “At Santander, we believe travel is about creating meaningful memories and discovering unique experiences that connect people with destinations,” said Matías Sánchez, Global Head of Cards and Digital Solutions at Santander. “Through our partnership with Visa, we are bringing exclusive opportunities to our customers across ten key markets, giving them access to extraordinary experiences in music, sports, fashion, gastronomy and culture that can only be enjoyed through this global collaboration.”
• “We are delighted to partner with Visa to bring the value of the Tax Free Shopping experience to travelers using Visa Destinations. In doing so, international travelers benefit from increased purchasing power, a seamless and guaranteed refund process, and an enhanced shopping journey while immersing themselves in the destination of their choice,” said Virginie Alem, Global Blue Chief Marketing Officer.
• “As the leading global airline alliance, Star Alliance is uniquely positioned to offer travelers access to unmatched reach through our 26 member airlines, enabling seamless multi-airline journeys. This partnership with Visa will deliver great value to travelers 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, Star Alliance.
• “Travel should always be inspiring, intuitive, and rewarding. That is why at Trip.com Group, we are constantly reimagining how journeys are planned and experienced – with simplicity at every touch point. Our collaboration with Visa brings this vision to life, combining secure, seamless payments with curated travel offerings and elevated benefits, turning every journey into something truly extraordinary,” said Sun Bo, Chief Marketing Officer at Trip.com Group.

Beyond serving travellers, Visa Destinations supports Visa’s broader strategy to deepen digital commerce, enable seamless cross-border payments, and help travel-related businesses capture greater value from global tourism.

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