Travel

Muslim travel market picks up: Which cities in SEA are catering well?

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6 months ago

June 3, 2024

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Muslim travel market picks up: Which cities in SEA are catering well?

The Muslim travel market is set for a significant uptick this year, with global international arrivals potentially reaching up to 168 million, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by as much as 5%.

Amidst this boom, Southeast Asia has once again emerged as the world’s leading Muslim tourist destination in the latest edition of the Mastercard-Crescent Rating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI), with Indonesia and Malaysia tied for the top spot among 145 destinations in the 2024 study.

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This growth in volume highlights the rising prominence of the segment, driven by demographic and economic expansion, cultural and Halal tourism development, and technological advancements that enable more personalised travel experiences for Muslim travelers, such as apps that locate Halal food outlets, Qibla directions, and prayer timings.

The impact of artificial intelligence is also helping further customise travel experiences to simplify travel logistics while adhering to faith traditions.

Safdar Khan, division president, Southeast Asia, Mastercard, said, technology is helping this demographic to travel in ways that meet their unique needs, from AI-powered hyper-personalised experiences to Mastercard’s own enablement of easy and secure cross-border payments.

“Together this heralds a new level of convenience for Muslim travelers and unlocks a new era of growth and profitability for travel operators,” he said.

Meanwhile, Singapore has consistently led among non-organisation of Islamic Cooperation destinations given its unwavering dedication to cater to Muslim travelers by widespread availability of Halal food, prayer facilities, suitable airport amenities, and Muslim-friendly accommodation.

“It is encouraging to see that the travel sectors in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore not only maintained their rankings in this year’s GMTI, but also improved their individual scores. This reflects a broader trend of increased consideration for Muslim travelers, with average scores across the Index rising by 10%,” said Fazal Bahardeen, Founder & CEO, CrescentRating.

Thailand also won over Muslim tourists due to their attitude towards promoting Halal tourism such as increasing Halal food availability, integration of Muslim-friendly amenities at tourist spots, and enhanced accommodation and dining options for Muslim travelers.

Meanwhile, the Philippines recorded an increase in its score on communications compared to 2023. The Philippines has steadily increased its appeal to Muslim tourists by strategically developing their Halal Tourism portfolio, enhancing halal accreditation of hotels and restaurants, and conducting Halal awareness orientations.

Bahardeen also added: “It is also positive to see the Philippines continue to improve its score, which demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the Department of Tourism to bolstering Muslim-friendly tourism and advancing the destination’s appeal.”

He said that as Muslim travel continues to gain momentum, the GMTI 2024 report provides invaluable insights for stakeholders across the travel and tourism sector to leverage the growing Muslim travel market.”

GMTI, now in its ninth year, analyses data across 145 destinations using the ACES framework, built around metrics on Access, Communication, Environment, and Services. Over time, the criteria have evolved to keep pace with the changing needs of Muslim travelers. This year, new metrics on availability of facilities and services for travelers with disabilities were added to the model.

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