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JCB Launches Strategic Guide for European Merchants Looking to Tap into Asian Travellers' Spending Power

By Dominic Sow · 1 October 2025

JCB Europe Managing Director Ray Shinzawa presents the “Asian Traveller Personas” guide, helping European merchants understand spending habits of Asian travellers to unlock greater revenue opportunities.
JCB today announced the launch of a new strategic guide, “Asian Traveller Personas - Inspiring European Merchants to Unlock Greater Spend.” This comprehensive guide provides European merchants with key insights into the diverse motivations and spending habits of consumers coming from Asia, enabling them to craft bespoke experiences and unlock new revenue opportunities. The new guide comes at a time when spending by Asian travellers in Europe is experiencing substantial growth. However, understanding the nuances of this vast and varied customer base can be challenging. JCB’s new guide addresses this by distilling extensive cardmember insights and current market trends into actionable strategies for European merchants looking to attract high-value Asian consumers. The new strategic guide offers a deep dive into the Asian cardmember landscape, notably introducing five distinct traveller personas for those visiting Europe:
  • The Security-Seeking Family Spender: Most common in the Philippines and Indonesia, this persona prioritises peace of mind above anything else. With Filipino cardmembers increasing their in-Europe physical spend by +101% YoY from 2022 to 2023[i], they seek reliable fraud prevention measures, seamless contactless payments, and family-friendly amenities.
  • The Social Deal Hunter: Predominantly from Thailand and Indonesia, this segment comprises digital natives aged 20-40 who live for flash deals and instant rewards. Thai shoppers increased their online spend by +112% YoY between 2022 and 2023, with a notable focus on software and app-based services[ii].
  • The Premium Traveller: These high-income travellers, most common across India, Taiwan and Vietnam, view travel as a status symbol and value nothing less than excellent service. The growth is exponential, with Indian physical spend having soared by +641% YoY, and online spending by an astonishing +988% YoY, between 2022 and 2023[iii]. They value personalised perks and tailored experiences, paired with seamless and secure payment transactions.
  • The Value Gift Hunter: Japanese and Korean leisure travellers embody the tradition of buying thoughtful gifts, omiyage, for friends, family or colleagues. Japanese physical spend increased by +114% YoY from 2022 to 2023[iv], demonstrating their sustained appetite for shopping abroad. This group seeks out multi-buy bundles and clear pricing, ensuring their gifts are both meaningful and hassle-free.
  • The Acceptance-Driven Digital Nomad: Most commonly from South Korea and the tech-worker diaspora, this persona demands ultimate simplicity, speed, and ease. With South Korean physical payments growing by +36% YoY and online payments by +34% YoY from 2022 to 2023[v], their non-negotiable is seamless ‘wallet-first’ checkout. For them, payment acceptance is paramount to their mobile lifestyle.
For each of these personas, the strategic guide provides a more in-depth overview of the positive spending triggers to prioritise and the payment frictions to minimise. By understanding what motivates each persona to spend and what deters them, merchants can tailor their payment processes to directly address the specific needs and preferences of these high-value Asian cardmembers. This empowers businesses to create highly targeted strategies that foster loyalty and encourage higher spend. “The European market is seeing unprecedented growth from Asian consumers, and to truly capitalise on this, merchants need a deep cultural and behavioural understanding,” said Ray Shinzawa, Managing Director, JCB Europe. “This strategic guide, built on a combination of JCB’s insights into our cardmembers’ spending patterns and wider global trends, serves as a vital blueprint. It empowers European retailers to move beyond generic approaches, enabling them to anticipate needs, personalise interactions, and ultimately support revenue growth.”

Companies in this story: JCB International Co.

People in this story: Ray Shinzawa

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