(02/06/23) Indonesia and Malaysia have emerged as the top
two destinations globally for Muslim travelers, according to the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index
(GMTI) 2023.
The annual report, now in its eighth year, analyzes
data across 138 countries to offer comprehensive
insights into which destinations best meet the needs of the
increasingly influential Halal travel segment.
The Halal
travel demographic is a sizeable market segment globally.
According to the GMTI, Muslim international arrivals hit 110
million in 2022 and are forecast to reach 140 million this year.
By 2028, Muslim arrivals are expected to reach 230 million, with
projected expenditure of US$225 billion.
Currently, Asia leads
the way for arrivals, with more than 31 percent of all travelers
to this region identifying as Muslim.
Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country in the
world, and
Malaysia, the 20th most populous Muslim country in the world, which scored equally in the index this year, have long
been popular destinations for Muslim tourists.
Bali, Indonesia. Picture by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com
Indonesia had previously topped the ranking in the 2019 report, while Malaysia
has consistently been at the forefront of the GMTI since 2015.
Singapore ranked 12th, making it only one of two countries
(along with the United Kingdom) outside of the Organization of
Islamic Cooperation to rank in the top 20.
The index
assesses destinations across four key criteria: Access,
Communications, Environment, and Services (ACES).
Southeast
Asian destinations ranked among the top 10 on all four of these
criteria, while in the aggregate, Indonesia and Malaysia both
scored 73 (out of a possible 100), Singapore scored 64,
Thailand achieved a score of 52, and Philippines, 46.
The
report also found that a number of global travel behaviors are
impacting trends among Muslim travelers, with the demographic
increasingly: incorporating sustainability into their travel;
opting for destinations and activities to improve their health
and wellness; finding opportunities for immersive experiences
and authenticity; incorporating personal development into their
travel plans.
“While by no means a monolith, Muslim travelers
are often looking for their travel plans to align with certain
faith-oriented criteria, such as availability of Halal foods,
rooms for prayer, and encouraging communications and messaging
from destinations,” said Fazal Bahardeen, Founder & CEO,
CrescentRating “Over the years we’ve conducted this research,
we’ve consistently seen markets that prioritize these
requirements perform well among Muslim travelers, and so it is our
hope that the 2023 edition offers insights that will allow
destinations to garner more understanding, more inclusivity, and ultimately, a closer relationship with this demographic.”
The GMTI has grown considerably since its
first iteration in 2011, when it was initially known as the
CrescentRating Annual Ranking and assessed only the top 10
Muslim-friendly destinations. Now, the report encompasses 138
destinations globally, and offers comprehensive insights into everything from travel document requirements to faith-aligned
sustainability practices.
The latest edition of GMTI offers
four new tools that offer insights and recommendations regarding
this demographic:
· Muslim Travel Intent Tracker:
This metric takes into account various time frames, from
immediate travel plans to those planned over a year in advance, to
capture the dynamic and evolving preferences of the Muslim
traveler market.
· Muslim Traveler Responsible Tourism
Framework: Offers a holistic approach to help guide Muslim
travelers in making mindful choices that promote sociocultural,
socio-economic, and environmental sustainability while
upholding the values of the faith.
· GMTI Performance Matrix
(GPM): By incorporating the Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI)
scores and the percentage of Muslim visitors to overall visitors,
the GPM provides a comprehensive overview of destinations’
ability to cater to Muslim travelers and their success in
attracting this growing market segment.
· Muslim Women
Friendly Destinations: Features destinations worldwide that
provide a welcoming and comfortable experience for Muslim
women travelers, taking into account factors such as safety,
faith restrictions and sustainability within the Environment
criteria of the ACES model.
“Mastercard is a longstanding partner of CrescentRating, with
both organizations sharing the same commitment in using the power
of data and insights to create more relevant solutions and
unearth new economic opportunities,” said Safdar Khan, Division President, Southeast Asia, Mastercard.
“With the travel industry
already exceeding pre-pandemic levels of growth, the GMTI shows
how faith-based travelers have evolved in their needs, and how
these needs can be better met to create more resilient tourism
offerings. Mastercard is confident that the GMTI will help to
bolster the ongoing recovery and lay the foundations for
future growth in the Muslim travel sector.”
The full 82-page, 4.75 MB .pdf report can be
downloaded in full
here.
