Klook and Mastercard signed an MoU on 3 September 2026 to create more seamless, experience-led travel across Asia Pacific, with exclusive cardholder discounts timed for year-end travel.
Cover image: Central Business District skyline in Singapore reflecting Asia Pacific travel demand — photo by Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Klook and Mastercard have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to build a more rewarding and seamless travel ecosystem across Asia Pacific, the companies announced in Singapore on 3 September 2026. The Klook Mastercard Asia Pacific travel partnership is built on three pillars — enhancing cardholder value, unlocking new travel and lifestyle opportunities, and advancing innovative payments — with exclusive discounts and privileges for Mastercard cardholders rolling out in time for the year-end travel period.
Announcement details published by ANTARA/PRNewswire on 3 September 2026 at 11:44 WIB confirm the tie-up aims to answer how travellers actually plan in 2026. Klook's Travel Pulse 2026 research, cited in the release, found that while 47% of APAC consumers actively seek deals, discounts and bundled offers and 42% book earlier to secure better prices, decisions are now experience-first. More than half of travellers no longer start with a destination in mind; 23% choose a destination based on a specific activity and 73% are willing to visit a lesser-known city for a unique event.
What does the Klook Mastercard partnership offer travellers?
The MoU commits the two companies to a pipeline of entertainment-led benefits, with the first wave focused on value for the year-end season. For Mastercard cardholders, that means curated discounts on Klook experiences across the region, alongside privileges designed to reduce planning friction and increase time spent experiencing. Klook co-founder and president Eric Gnock Fah said experiences give travel meaning, and pairing Klook's platform with Mastercard's network helps travellers discover more while spending less time planning.
Mastercard executive vice president for market development in Asia Pacific Peter Robejsek said the future of travel will be shaped by ecosystems that bring together technology, payments and experiences, and that the collaboration aims to make journeys more personalised, rewarding and seamless.
For travellers from Indonesia targeting Indian tourists at ITB India 2026 to Singapore and Thailand, the practical impact is straightforward: better bundled value on activities, attractions and transport, paid through trusted rails. That matters when Thailand tourist arrivals hit 19.76 million with India third at 1.45 million, and competition for experience spend is intensifying across Southeast Asia. Readers tracking platform deals may also recall the Philippines DOT Klook partnership for hidden gems, which similarly pushes lesser-known destinations via Klook inventory.
Why is experience-led travel growing in Asia Pacific?
Klook Travel Pulse 2026 frames the shift clearly. Consumers still hunt for price, but they book around experiences rather than pinning a city first. The 47% deal-seeking rate and 42% early-booking rate sit alongside the 73% willingness to detour to a secondary city for a concert, festival or sporting event. In practice, that favours platforms that can surface a concert in Osaka, a cooking class in Hanoi or a theme-park opening in Bali with instant checkout and price transparency. Exclusive cardholder offers amplify that, especially for year-end trips when availability tightens.
How will payments and personalisation work?
Beyond discounts, the companies said they will explore data collaboration and next-generation payment innovations. That includes using purchase and browsing signals to surface more relevant experiences, and testing checkout flows that reduce drop-off on mobile. Mastercard brings tokenisation, fraud tools and cross-border acceptance; Klook brings real-time availability for attractions and tours. Together they aim to shorten the gap between inspiration and booking, which is where most travel plans stall.
The approach mirrors wider APAC trends. With low-cost carrier capacity rebuilding and hotel occupancy recovering in hotspots such as Bali hotel occupancy topping Indonesia at 67.29% in July, platforms that bundle attraction tickets with transport and on-ground services win more share of wallet. Government tourism bodies are also leaning into bundles, from Indonesia foreign arrivals data showing Malaysians as the largest source in July 2026 to integrated packages in other corridors.
What should travellers do for year-end bookings?
- Compare bundled offers versus buying attraction tickets separately, especially for families and small groups.
- Book experiences early where 73% of peers are now willing to reroute for events — popular dates around concerts and sports sell first.
- Check cardholder terms for Mastercard tiers, as discounts may vary by market and travel date.
- Use in-app calendars to lock refund windows, then add flights and hotels around confirmed activities.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Klook Mastercard partnership announced in September 2026?
It is an MoU signed on 3 September 2026 between Klook and Mastercard to create more rewarding Asia Pacific travel. It rests on three pillars — cardholder value, new travel and lifestyle opportunities, and payment innovation — with exclusive discounts for Mastercard users rolling out for the year-end travel period.
What do the Klook Travel Pulse 2026 numbers show?
47% of APAC consumers seek deals, discounts and bundles, 42% book earlier to secure prices, 23% pick a destination based on a specific activity, and 73% will visit a lesser-known city for a unique event. More than half no longer begin with a destination in mind.
When will the benefits be available?
The companies said the first exclusive discounts and privileges for Mastercard cardholders will arrive in time for the year-end 2026 travel period, with additional entertainment benefits to be announced as the collaboration deepens.
Does it cover India and Southeast Asia?
The MoU is pan-regional for Asia Pacific, which includes Southeast Asia and India. Benefits will be rolled out market by market, so availability and terms may differ by country.
Sources
- ANTARA — Klook and Mastercard collaborate to enhance travelers’ experiences across Asia Pacific (3 Sep 2026 11:44 WIB)
- Wikipedia — Sasak people (context on Lombok travel culture; accessed 3 Sep 2026)
- Wikipedia — Mandalika International Street Circuit (context on Lombok tourism zone; accessed 3 Sep 2026)
