Jakarta, Thekabarnews.com – As the holidays and New Year draw near, Indonesians are becoming more picky about where they go on vacation. Many people want to have fun during their time off, but they also want to keep their finances stable. The end of the year is also a good time to change your money habits, including how you handle money when you travel. Nowadays, digital payments have become the most popular way to manage expenses while traveling.

When doing things around the holidays, using cash might be challenging. Currency is not always available; you could lose it, or transactions can be inconvenient. As a result, people are increasingly opting for cashless or non-cash holidays due to their perceived safety and practicality. This shift illustrates how digital payments became the most popular choice among travelers.

This trend is also getting stronger because people move around a lot. The Ministry of Tourism says that there would be 1.021 billion visitor trips in 2024. This number shows that travel has become a big part of the lives of Indonesians. It also means that digital payment services are more widely available while traveling.

Several digital banking platforms have different capabilities that can help with holiday demands. One way is through travel planning services that are all in one place. For instance, the DANA app’s Travel by Voyager function lets users buy transportation tickets, hotel rooms, and car rentals. All these are available in one place. This feature makes arranging a trip easier, showing how digital payments became the most popular way to organize travel.

Tourists who go overseas also notice how easy it is to do business. With QRIS Cross Border, people may make purchases in places like Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan by scanning QR codes at stores. This minimizes dependency on cash. Additionally, all spending is documented digitally, which makes it easier to keep track of your budget.

People are also starting to use NFC-based payment methods in their countries. With QRIS Tap, you can pay by only tapping your phone against a reader machine. You do not have to scan a QR code. This function may be utilized for many things, such as getting around on public transit and making purchases, reflecting how digital payments turned into the most popular method during busy seasons.

People still want to go on group vacations the most. The End of Year Vacation Plan Report 2023 from Populix says that 22% of Indonesian travelers are going with friends and 52% are going with family. The average vacation budget is about Rp5 million. In these kinds of situations, it can be difficult to share costs. Thus, the Split Bill function enables people to split and pay for things without having to rely on one person.

Sharing activities is also a part of the holiday custom. With the DANA Kaget feature, users can share their balance with more than one person at a time. This function is useful for gifts, treats, or other social reasons.

Olavina Harahap, the Director of Communications for DANA Indonesia, said that digital financial solutions need to change to fit the different ways that people like to holiday. She states that non-cash services can make travel easier and safer. However, people must know how to keep their accounts protected.

“Users still need to be careful and not share OTPs or PINs with anyone. They should also use all the security measures that are available to them to prevent the risk of cybercrime,” added Olavina.