Thailand remains among the top destinations for Muslim travelers

According to the report, Thailand maintained a strong GMTI score of 52, 14 points behind the top-ranked Singapore and just two points below the fourth-ranked Hong Kong, among Non-OIC destinations. This accomplishment reflects Thailand's commitment to enhancing the travel experience for Muslim tourists by increasing halal food options and availability, and integrating Muslim-friendly amenities like prayer rooms at tourist spots. Thailand's Department of Tourism has developed a five-year plan2 aimed at becoming a "halal hub" in Southeast Asia by 2027. The plan focuses on expanding the country's halal industry across various sectors, including food, apparel, services and tourism.  Through this strategy, Thailand aims to broaden opportunities for the global Muslim tourism market and attract tourists from the Middle East while diversifying its tourist base.

"Thailand has established itself as a prime destination for Muslim travelers, consistently securing top spots in the GMTI over the years. Insights from this year's report present local tourism players and government authorities with the opportunity to refine their services and offerings, to better cater to the unique requirements of Muslim tourists," said Piroon Rojanakamolsan, Vice President, Financial Institution Lead, Thailand, Mastercard. "As Thailand aims to become Southeast Asia's 'halal hub', the country can focus on improving services and amenities for Muslim travelers. Moreover, integrating digital technologies in all aspects of travel, including making payments safe, smart and accessible, is part of this process. Mastercard, with advanced payment solutions, is ready to support enhanced travel experiences for Muslim travelers in Thailand."

The GMTI 2024 report also shows that Southeast Asia continues to be a popular region for Muslim tourists, with Malaysia and Indonesia consistently leading among OIC3 destinations and Singapore leading among non-OIC destinations. 

"It is encouraging to see that destinations across Southeast Asia 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 percent," said Fazal Bahardeen, Founder & CEO, CrescentRating.

The GMTI report indicates that the Muslim travel market is set for a significant uptick this year, with international arrivals of Muslim travelers expected to reach up to 168 million worldwide, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by as much as five percent. 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 personalized 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 customize travel experiences to simplify travel logistics while adhering to faith traditions.

GMTI, now in its ninth year, analyzes data across 145 destinations using the ACES framework, which is 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.

Download the GMTI 2024 report here: https://www.crescentrating.com/halal-muslim-travel-market-reports.html

1 Non-OIC countries are those that are not members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. These countries may have significant Muslim populations or cater to Muslim travelers but are not officially part of the OIC.

2 Five Year Plan, Department of Tourism, Thailand.

3 The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is an international organization consisting of 57 member states, which are primarily Muslim-majority countries. The OIC aims to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony.

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