Visa, a global leader in digital payments has released its latest consumer spending insights for the 2025 Christmas holiday period in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), based on the Visa Consulting & Analytics Retail Spend Monitor.
The data shows over 45% year-over-year increase in international travel spending on Visa premium consumer cards.
Highlights of the seasonal spending trends from the month of December 2025 include:
Inbound Travel: Spending by international Visa premium and non-premium cardholders grew, led by visitors to the DRC from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Zambia, the Czech Republic, and Portugal up by over 75%.
Outbound Travel: Complementing inbound activity, international travel spending from the DRC on Visa premium consumer cards was up 45%.Travel to popular destinations such as France, China, Morocco, and the USA increased by ~85% among Visa premium cardholders.
Luxury Retail Spending: In addition to increased travel activity, holiday retail shopping among Visa premium cardholders also grew, with spending on luxury apparel and jewelry rising over 55% among those traveling abroad.
Sophie Kafuti, Country Manager, DRC, Visa, said: “This Christmas holiday season, we saw increased international travel spending by consumers from the DRC. We also observed stronger holiday shopping activity, particularly in luxury categories. These findings reflect the key areas driving seasonal spend for consumers in the DRC. At Visa, we continue to support these trends by providing secure, seamless, and innovative payment solutions for consumers and businesses.”
The VCA Retail Spend Monitor was produced by Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA), capturing total retail, travel, and experience-related activity during the winter holiday season (December 1–31, 2025) based on a subset of VisaNet data and complemented by survey-based estimates for other payment methods.
Nicolas Khoury, SVP, Head of Visa Consulting & Analytics, CEMEA, said: “Our VCA Retail Spend Monitor shows how this Christmas holiday season is shaping consumer behavior across travel and commerce experiences. Insights into spending trends help issuers and merchants design relevant offers and enhance engagement. At Visa Consulting & Analytics, we turn these insights into actionable strategies that help businesses respond effectively to changing behaviors.”
