Once the roar of Formula 1 engines fades and the champagne mist settles over the Marina Bay circuit, you’d think most racegoers would call it a day. Not so. For a certain well-heeled crowd, the Singapore Grand Prix isn’t the finish line; it’s the warm-up lap.
According to new data from Visa, the world’s leading digital payments company, one in five visitors to Singapore didn’t head straight home when the chequered flag came down. Instead, they packed their designer luggage and explored the Asia Pacific, visiting Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, and Japan, turning race week into a regional adventure.
Off to the Races – Again
Visa’s VisaNet data shows that travellers stayed an average of 3.5 extra days after the Singapore Grand Prix, effectively upgrading their pit stop into a second holiday. And these weren’t budget backpackers. Visitors spent about 40 per cent more per person abroad than they usually do at home, splashing out most enthusiastically in restaurants, boutiques, and department stores.
The biggest spenders are Americans, Australians, Mainland Chinese, Germans, and the French, the sort of crowd who don’t blink at a bill for Wagyu and wine.
Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand were the easy post-race favourites just a short flight away and brimming with sun, spice and spas. But Australia and Japan weren’t far behind. Apparently, nothing soothes the soul after an ear-splitting weekend of racing quite like a Balinese villa, a Tokyo shopping spree or a Sydney flat white.
The Moneyed Lane
Visa’s data highlights a telling divide between the average traveller and the affluent set, that polished brigade who treat airports like lounges and lounges like second homes. Roughly 25 per cent of affluent cardholders made further travel plans after the race weekend, higher than the overall 20 per cent average.
Once the engines fall silent in Singapore, they’re also jetting off for long-haul jaunts to Europe and North America. The data shows these travellers spend 20 per cent more per person than others on their post-race journeys, with spending up 65 per cent in department stores and 50 per cent on apparel.
In plain English, the race may end in Singapore, but the shopping marathon is just getting started.
Tapping Into Travel
Perhaps the most striking revelation isn’t where people go, but how they pay once they get there. Singapore, long a champion of digital convenience, is proving that contactless payments are more than a passing trend. Visa found that 85 per cent of all face-to-face transactions made by travellers after the race were done via tap-and-go cards.
Australians and Brits led the way, with a staggering 95 per cent of their purchases made contactlessly. Even in places where tap-to-pay is still taking root, like Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan, usage still clocked over 80 per cent.
For travellers, it’s the ultimate freedom: no fumbling with notes, no awkward conversions — just a tap here, a coffee there, a quick souvenir swipe before boarding the next flight.
Behind the Data Curtain
Behind the polished dashboards and elegant data sets sits Visa Consulting and Analytics (VCA), the quiet powerhouse fuelling these insights. VCA blends raw payment data with human intelligence and, increasingly, AI tools like Agentic AI to help tourism bodies and retailers understand how, where and why travellers spend.
“Major events don’t just drive tourism, they create positive spillovers across neighbouring regions,” says Prateek Sanghi, Visa’s Head of Consulting and Analytics for Asia Pacific. “Travellers from all segments have rapidly evolving preferences, with high-profile sports events becoming both a fixture and a catalyst in their travel plans.
“Visa’s global network and data capabilities allow businesses to understand the changing shape of travel and tailor strategies to critical segments like affluent travellers so they can cast their nets wider and win the lion’s share of tourism today and tomorrow.”
In other words, follow the money, and it seems that the money is following the noise of an F1 engine.
Singapore: Still in Pole Position
Singapore has always been more than a stopover. Its immaculate efficiency, world-class airport and love affair with digital payments make it a natural hub for onward travel. During race week, it transforms from a finance hub to a festival, and Visa’s data suggests that the benefits ripple well beyond the city’s borders.
Restaurants in Kuala Lumpur, resorts in Phuket and shops in Tokyo all felt the afterglow. It’s a reminder that major events don’t end with the fireworks; they start economic engines in motion that keep humming for weeks after the grandstands are packed away.
A Post-Pandemic Revival Lap
There’s also something deeply human about this post-race wanderlust. After years of lockdowns and border restrictions, travellers are rediscovering the sheer joy of motion and doing it with gusto.
The pandemic may have grounded flights, but it didn’t dull the appetite for new experiences. Now, a long weekend in Singapore is as likely to morph into a fortnight across Asia. From Bangkok street eats to Bali spa retreats, from Tokyo’s neon chaos to Sydney’s calm harbours, the region is open again — and the travellers are voting with their wallets.
The Final Note
The moral of the story? The Singapore Grand Prix is not just about horsepower but also spending power. The world’s affluent are back in motion, their cards ready, their itineraries expanding by the tap.
For those in the tourism trade, Visa’s findings are more than data points; they’re a roadmap for recovery. And for the rest of us, they’re a timely reminder that the best journeys often start when the race ends.
By Jason Smith – (c) 2025
Read time: 6 minutes.
About the Writer
Jason Smith has the kind of story you can’t fake, built on long flights, new cities, and that unmistakable hum of hotel life that gets under your skin and never quite leaves. Half American, half Asian, he grew up surrounded by the steady rhythm of the tourism trade in the U.S., where his family helped others see the world long before he did.
Eager to carve out his own path, Jason packed his bags for Bangkok and the Asian Institute of Hospitality & Management, where he majored in Hotel Management and found a career and a calling. From there came years on the road, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, each stop adding another thread to his craft.
He made his mark in Thailand, eventually becoming Director of Sales for one of the country’s leading hotel chains. Then came COVID-19: borders closed, flights grounded, and a new chapter began.
Back home in America, Jason turned his knack for connection into words, joining Global Travel Media to tell the stories behind the check-ins written with the same warmth and honesty that have always defined him.
