The Philippines was again named as an Emerging Muslim-friendly non-Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) destination for its sustained development of Halal food and hospitality industry in the country.

The high recognition was part of the 2024 Mastercard-Crescent Rating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) which evaluates the world’s countries, specifically 145 global destinations, using the ACES framework built around vital metrics on Access, Communication, Environment, and Services.

The GMTI ACES framework puts emphasis on the criteria of keeping pace with the changing needs of Muslim travelers, primarily on the availability of Halal food, prayer facilities, suitable airport amenities, hotels, and all other Muslim-friendly accommodations.

According to the GMTI 2024 report, the Philippines recorded a steady increase in its appeal to Muslim tourists by strategically developing the Halal Tourism portfolio, enhancing halal accreditation of hotels and restaurants, and conducting Halal awareness orientations among tourism stakeholders.

The Philippines also received last year the GMTI 2023 Emerging Muslim-friendly Destination of the Year award.

Mr. Fazal Bahardeen, Founder & CEO of CrescentRating, commented, “It is 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. As Muslim travel continues to gain momentum, the GMTI report provides invaluable insights for stakeholders across the travel and tourism sector to leverage the growing Muslim travel market.”

The GMTI 2024 report underscored that the Muslim travel market is set for a significant uptick this year, with up to 168 million Muslim travelers potentially visiting the various destinations around the world.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco stressed that the Philippines recorded more than 79,000 Muslim tourist arrivals in 2023 from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) leading at more than 33,760 visitors, followed by Saudi Arabia (19,311), Qatar (10,438), Kuwait (6,915), Bahrain (5,886), and Oman (2,695).

She said that the country will build upon its Halal tourism to encourage more Muslims to visit the different destinations here.

“As a country known for its warm hospitality, rich cultural heritage, and breathtaking natural attractions, catering to the needs of Muslim travelers through the development of Halal Tourism is crucial in ensuring that we raise our competitiveness in the global tourism market,” Frasco said.

“Halal Tourism presents a rapidly growing market segment. By prioritizing this, we not only demonstrate our commitment to inclusivity and cultural sensitivity but also open up opportunities to attract more Muslim travelers from around the world, while expanding markets for our tourism stakeholders and creating more livelihood and employment for our fellow Filipinos,” she added.

The DOT chief noted that this was the second straight year that the Philippines obtained the citation, as she declared that the department will exert all efforts to sustain and further enhance the country’s Muslim-friendly tourism.

She said, “Tourism authorities have placed Halal tourism high on their priority agenda, evidenced by their action to enhance the Halal tourism portfolio and raise awareness among tourism stakeholders about the values and practices important to Muslim travelers.”

According to the global population data and demographics organization World Population Review, the world’s Muslim population is now more than 2 billion.

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