Travelers’ budgets have always influenced the kind of trips they take and the places they visit. Now, a growing number of travelers from both the U.S. and other Western countries are also choosing destinations whose currencies are significantly lower than the dollar.
In its annual 2027 Travel Trends report, booking platform Skyscanner identified “currency tourism” as one of the trends gaining steam for the coming year.
According to its survey of 28,000 travelers, Skyscanner found that 41% changed their destination to one with a more favorable exchange rate, while among Gen Z, this number goes up to 72%. For example, on the Skyscanner platform, searches for Vietnam increased by 64% between 2025 and 2026.
Specific cities around the world identified as destinations for “currency chasers” include the coastal Vietnamese town of Da Nang, Wrocław in Poland, Tirana in Albania, and Bishkek in the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan.
According to Skyscanner, searches for travel to the latter capital jumped by as much as 501% in certain regional markets.
Vietnam, Albania, Japan singled out by currency chasers
Japan, once considered an expensive travel destination, is now an option for currency chasers due to the devaluation of the yen over the last few years, CNN noted.
And while Türkiye has seen prices go up significantly over the last year, it is still seen as a “currency chasing” destination for travelers from countries including the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Related: EasyJet will pay for your child’s first passport
“Travelers are discovering the exchange rate advantages of going to a few places where the exchange rate allows them to potentially stay longer because they don’t have the same expenses,” Islas dos Santos, the commercial director for the Americas, said in an interview with TheStreet.
“If you if have $100 USD, you could really do a lot during a week in Vietnam versus if you have $100 USD in New York, you’re probably blowing through that in a day.”
Image source: Shutterstock
“The more flexible the traveler… the better they can find their money stretching”
“What we’re noticing is the more flexible the traveler can be, the better they can find their money stretching,” Dos Santos also said.
Other travel trends identified by Skyscanner going into 2027 include “merch tourism,” which involves planning a trip around obtaining certain clothing or other merchandise from a team or local store not available elsewhere, and “grand odysseys.”
More Travel News:
- Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
- There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
- Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
- Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka
Although the latter trend was obviously inspired by the 2026 Christopher Nolan epic film, the term can also be used to describe the growing interest in learning about ancient civilizations and the modern-day locations of various historical events.
The movie does, however, seem to be single-handedly influencing travel trends. According to the travel trends survey, 34% of the 28,000 polled travelers have tried to plan a trip inspired by “The Odyssey” this year.
In addition, 43% of Millennial and 42% of Gen Z travelers have thought about booking a trip inspired by Troy or ancient Greece.
Related: Now could be the time to do that very artsy weekend in LA