- Malaysia and Singapore top the list of OIC and non-OIC markets for the third consecutive year
- Indonesia, Japan and Taiwan saw the biggest improvements in ranking on the overall top 10 list
- Singapore is the only non-OIC destination in the overall top 10
- In 2016, there were an estimated 121 million Muslim visitor arrivals globally – up from 117 million in 2015 – representing 10% of the entire travel industry
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| Source: GMTI 2017. Top OIC and non-OIC destinations for Muslim travellers. |
Malaysia and Singapore have strengthened their positions as top performing destinations of a sector expected to be worth US$220 billion by 2020 according to research* released on the global Muslim travel market. Released on May 3 in Jakarta, Indonesia, the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2017, which covers 130 destinations, saw Malaysia keep the top spot while Indonesia moved up to third place in the overall rankings.
The index showed a number of non-Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) destinations in Asia rise in the rankings, a result of the concerted effort to adapt their services to cater to and attract the Muslim travel market. Singapore retained its pole position for the non-OIC destinations, with Thailand, the UK, South Africa and Hong Kong rounding up the top five. Japan moved up two places to take sixth spot with Spain entering the top 10 for the first time.
The research showed that the Muslim travel market will continue to grow at a fast pace with the sector estimated to grow to US$220 billion in 2020. It is expected to grow a further US$80 billion to reach US$300 billion by 2026. It was also revealed that in 2016, there were an estimated 121 million Muslim visitor arrivals globally – up from 117 million in 2015 – and this is forecast to grow to 156 million visitors by 2020 representing 10% of the travel segment.
Asia has remained the leading region in the world in terms of attractiveness to Muslim tourists with an average GMTI score of 57.6, with Africa coming in second place at 47.0, followed by Oceania (43.8), Europe (39.9) and the Americas (33.7).
Fazal Bahardeen, CEO of CrescentRating and HalalTrip, said the GMTI continues to reveal detailed insights which will assist destinations in better understanding the shifting needs of the segment.
“We are definitely seeing the influence of a new breed of young travellers, Millennials and Gen Z who are combining technology with a real desire to explore the world while still adhering to their faith-based needs,” he said.
“They will be the driving force for the next phase of growth. These younger travellers want greater choice, unique experiences and constant connectivity which can be seen with the growth of other Muslim lifestyle segments such as halal food and modest fashion which link perfectly with the travel market.
“As Muslim travel continues to diversify, keeping on top of the demographics of the travellers though these insights from the GMTI will be paramount for destination management teams and decision makers who are ultimately sourcing solutions for this market.”
Safdar Khan, Division President, Indonesia, Malaysia & Brunei, Mastercard said, “With an overall expenditure of around US$155 billion in 2016, the Muslim travel market remains a strong driver for the continued growth in travel across the world. It’s constantly evolving with major forces such as changing demographics and digitization shaping the way the industry is progressing.
“Technology for example is improving the experiences of Muslim travellers every step of the way from the planning phase to the experience phase and the sharing phase. There is a huge opportunity for service providers to innovate and adapt their offerings to cater to the unique needs of this segment at each of these phases across multiple touch points. At Mastercard, we’re committed to supporting the growth of this segment and are working with our partners to constantly develop new and innovative programmes and offerings for Muslim consumers.”
| Overall Top 10 Destinations (OIC & Non-OIC) | ||||
| 2017 | 2016 | |||
| Rank | Destination | Score | Destination | Score |
| 1 | Malaysia | 82.5 | Malaysia | 81.9 |
| 2 | UAE | 76.9 | UAE | 74.7 |
| 3 | Indonesia | 72.6 | Turkey | 73.9 |
| 4 | Turkey | 72.4 | Indonesia | 70.6 |
| 5 | KSA | 71.4 | Qatar | 70.5 |
| 6 | Qatar | 70.5 | KSA | 70.4 |
| 7 | Morocco | 68.1 | Oman | 70.3 |
| 8 | Oman | 67.9 | Singapore | 68.4 |
| 9 | Bahrain | 67.9 | Morocco | 68.3 |
| 10 | Singapore | 67.3 | Jordan | 65.4 |
| Top 10 OIC Destinations | ||||
| 2017 | 2016 | |||
| Rank | Destination | Score | Destination | Score |
| 1 | Malaysia | 82.5 | Malaysia | 81.9 |
| 2 | UAE | 76.9 | UAE | 74.7 |
| 3 | Indonesia | 72.6 | Turkey | 73.9 |
| 4 | Turkey | 72.4 | Indonesia | 70.6 |
| 5 | KSA | 71.4 | Qatar | 70.5 |
| 6 | Qatar | 70.5 | KSA | 70.4 |
| 7 | Morocco | 68.1 | Oman | 70.3 |
| 8 | Oman | 67.9 | Morocco | 68.3 |
| 9 | Bahrain | 67.9 | Jordan | 65.4 |
| 10 | Iran | 66.8 | Bahrain | 65.3 |
| Top 10 Non-OIC Destinations | ||||
| 2017 | 2016 | |||
| Rank | Destination | Score | Destination | Score |
| 1 | Singapore | 67.3 | Singapore | 68.4 |
| 2 | Thailand | 61.8 | Thailand | 59.5 |
| 3 | UK | 60.0 | UK | 59.0 |
| 4 | South Africa | 53.6 | South Africa | 53.1 |
| 5 | Hong Kong | 53.2 | Hong Kong | 53.0 |
| 6 | Japan | 52.8 | France | 51.6 |
| 7 | Taiwan | 52.4 | Taiwan | 50.1 |
| 8 | France | 52.1 | Japan | 49.1 |
| 9 | Spain | 48.8 | Sri Lanka | 49.0 |
| 10 | US | 48.6 | US | 48.9 |
According to the GMTI, there are seven key drivers shaping the continued growth of the Muslim travel market:
Growing Muslim population: This population is the fastest- growing religious segment in the world. It is expected to make up 26% of the world’s population by 2030. By 2050, this Muslim population increase will be faster than the world’s population as a whole.**
Growing middle class /disposable income: There is a continued increase in the middle class in countries with large Muslim populations such as the Gulf countries, Indonesia and Malaysia. Together with a maturing Muslim population in Western Europe and North America who are highly educated and skilled professionals, there will be an increase in the disposable income of this large Muslim consumer base.
Younger population: Muslims are also the youngest segment amongst all other major religious groups with a median age of 23 years old in 2010. These trendsetters are shaping the future travel industry through their strong viewpoints and unique purchasing behaviours.
Increasing access to travel information: Rapidly evolving technology continues to change the industry with the integration of the Internet across multiple platforms. Better access to the Internet through the primary use of smartphones have also empowered more Muslims by enabling them to travel better with more options. Customers’ attitudes and choices will be highly influenced by social media.
Increasing availability of Muslim-friendly travel services and facilities: With the increasing growth of the Muslim travel market, more businesses and destinations are now entering the industry to serve the needs of Muslim travellers by adapting their products and services. The increase in these Muslim-friendly services creates a virtuous cycle, creating more opportunities for Muslims to travel worldwide.
Ramadhan travel: As reported in the Mastercard-CrescentRating Ramadhan Travel Report 2016, Ramadhan travel will be a key factor driving Muslim travel. This is due to the popular observance of umrah travel during this period, increase in business travel as well as the importance of experiencing the Ramadhan culture and Eid festival, particularly with families. In addition, extreme weather or fasting durations will also continue to influence Ramadhan travel.
Business travel: With the majority of Muslims representing growing economies such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey and economies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), business travel is projected to grow rapidly. The availability of business opportunities, especially in developing countries, attracts a large number of business travellers. This segment has also seen growth contributed by the meetings, incentives, conferences and events (MICE) sector. Another key driver for growth in Muslim business travel is the increasing number of Muslim professionals (both males and females) now entering the workforce.
Interested?
Download the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index
Explore interactive infographics from GMTI 2017
Watch the video introducing the GMTI
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*The GMTI focuses on one of the fastest-growing tourism sectors in the world, representing 10% of the entire travel economy. It helps destinations, travel services, travelers and investors to track the health and growth of this travel segment while benchmarking their individual progress in reaching out to this growing travel segment.
This year, the report introduces a strategic tool to help destinations and businesses translate GMTI criteria to actionable plans to improve the Muslim-friendliness of a destination. This takes into account both the destination’s macro policies and ways to improve market outreach, build capacity and capability.
All 130 destinations in the GMTI were scored against a backdrop of four key strategic criteria – access, communications, environment and services – which are further divided into 11 subsections. These include Muslim arrivals, air connectivity, visa restrictions, suitability as a family holiday destination, ease of communication, the level of services and facilities it provides, accommodation options and marketing initiatives. Each criteria was then weighted to make up the overall index score.
**Pew Research, February 2017