Singapore leads Muslim-friendly travel ranking outside Islamic bloc

It ranked 11th globally in the latest Mastercard-CrescentRating index.

Singapore remained the highest-ranked Muslim-friendly destination outside the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), according to this year’s Global Muslim Travel Index by Mastercard and CrescentRating.

The market ranked 11th globally with a score of 73, supported by its halal culinary ecosystem, multicultural environment, and smart destination infrastructure, the report said.

For instance, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore has enhanced its framework for Foreign Halal Certification Bodies, introducing stricter assessment criteria, risk-based monitoring, and regular reviews of imported halal products.

Hong Kong follows Singapore amongst non-OIC destinations, whilst Taiwan and the UK shared third place.

Asia remained the centre of Muslim travel, recording nearly 128 million arrivals and a 20.8% market penetration.  Southeast Asia emerged as a key travel corridor this year.

Malaysia retained its position as the top Muslim-friendly destination for the 11th consecutive year, with a score of 83.

Rising fuel costs, geopolitical tensions, airspace disruptions, and security concerns are pushing more travellers to favour closer and more predictable destinations, the report said.

The index evaluated 150 destinations, covering more than 98% of global Muslim visitor arrivals, across access, communications, environment, and services.

Meanwhile, the report found that 80% of travellers now use artificial intelligence (AI) tools for travel purposes.

“As AI becomes more embedded in travel planning, destinations and businesses need to make trusted information, secure payments and Muslim-friendly services easier to discover and act on,” said Aisha Islam, Senior Vice President, Customer Solutions Center, Southeast Asia at Mastercard.