MALAYSIA was named “Best Muslim-Friendly Destination” by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and “Best Muslim Women-Friendly Destination” by CrescentRating and Mastercard at the Halal in Travel Awards held in Singapore today.

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing said Malaysia retained its top spot in the “Best Muslim-Friendly Destination” chart in the Global Muslim Travel Index 2023 report. 

Tiong said the achievement further strengthens Malaysia’s position and branding as a leader in the Muslim tourism and Muslim-friendly tourism and hospitality segments at the regional and international levels.

“Muslims are a fast-growing segment of the tourism industry and the Muslim population is estimated to have reached two billion worldwide.

“The recovery rate of Islamic tourism at the global level has also been encouraging, with 110 million Muslim tourist arrivals recorded last year,” he said in a statement today.

“It was a proud achievement for Malaysia when it managed to attract 2.12 million Muslim tourists to the country last year, with a total expenditure of RM5.37 billion,” he said.

Tiong said local entrepreneurs and industry players are encouraged to offer Muslim-friendly hospitality services to expand the Islamic tourism industry in the country.

He urged them to attend courses and programmes under the Islamic Tourism Centre, including the Muslim-Friendly Tourist Guide course, which is open to licensed local tour guides, and the Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition programme, which provides business development opportunities in the fast-growing Islamic tourism sector. – Bernama, June 1, 2023.