Budget Hunters
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The Spending Trend
Travellers are no longer just chasing the best deals. As currency tourism grows, they’re choosing destinations where favourable exchange rates mean more meals, more memories and more experiences for the same budget.
Currency tourism
insights
With favourable currency rates, year-on-year searches to Vietnam have risen
Who has swapped destinations because the exchange rate made an alternative cheaper?
Gen Z
Millennials
“Always pay in the local currency at a restaurant, hotel or ATM.”
Mia McGrath, Frugal Chic
“Smart budgeting is about making intentional choices so your money is used towards the parts of the holiday that matter most to you.”
Year-on-year increase in video views of Budget Travel content
Year-on-year searches to Vietnam, with its favourable currency rate, have risen by:1
A quarter of Gen Z always consider a destination’s currency strength when booking vacations.
35% of travellers have swapped destinations because the exchange rate made an alternative cheaper.
% of switchers
“Each transaction could come with a hidden fee”
“It’s so easy to get caught out by these costs. Each transaction you do, whether that’s paying for dinner at a restaurant or paying for a taxi, or even a cash withdrawal at an ATM, could come with a hidden fee in the form of an unfavourable exchange rate.
Using a Wise card is a good way to avoid a lot of these costs: it’s fast, it’s easy and you’ll get the rate you see on Google, a low fee, with all the costs broken out clearly.”
Sana Rahman
Global Head of Communications
Sana Rahman’s top 5 tips to help travellers maximise their money abroad
Always choose to pay in the local currency at a restaurant, hotel or ATM, as paying in pounds often means a less favourable exchange rate set by the merchant or ATM provider.
Avoid exchanging money at the airport unless you have to, as the convenience often comes with less favourable exchange rates.
Check whether your bank card charges foreign transaction fees or exchange rate markups before you travel. A provider like Wise can help you see the rate you’re getting and avoid hidden costs.
Plan your cash withdrawals to avoid repeated ATM fees, and use cash machines from established banks rather than standalone ATMs in tourist areas. With Wise, for example, you get fee-free withdrawals up to a total of 100 CAD per month.
Be wary of “zero commission” offers, as the real cost is often hidden in an unfavourable exchange rate.
Mia McGrath
“The heart of the Frugal Chic philosophy: splurge on what matters and cut out what does not”
In 2027, I think travellers will become much more aware of how exchange rates, card fees and everyday on-the-ground spending can affect the true cost of a trip. For example, when I went to Thailand the flights were affordable and so was the accommodation, but one mistake I made was using the wrong debit card and being charged foreign exchange fees. It was also the little purchases I had not fully thought about that started to add up.
This is not about being restrictive with your spending. It is about being savvy, avoiding nasty surprises and making room for the experiences you genuinely care about. That is the heart of the Frugal Chic philosophy: splurge on what matters and cut out what does not.
True currency chasers compare the local cost of meals, activities and transport before they book, actively choosing destinations where their home currency goes the extra mile.
By pairing a favourable exchange rate with a daily spending budget and a small buffer for spontaneous moments, you eliminate financial anxiety entirely. Smart budgeting isn’t about spending as little as possible, it’s about making intentional choices so your money is used towards the parts of the holiday that matter most to you.
