MALAYSIA has once again secured its position as the premier destination for Muslim travellers, marking its ninth consecutive year to lead the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2024.
The GMTI 2024 report, released on May 30, also honoured Malaysia as the "Top Muslim-Friendly Destination of the Year by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)" for the second consecutive year at the Halal in Travel Awards 2024 event held in Singapore.
These arrivals generated RM14.70 billion in revenue for Malaysia last year.
The Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) director-general, Nizran Noordin said Malaysia had held the top position since the GMTI was introduced in 2015 and would continue to strive to hold the title on both local and international scales.
Nizran said as a Muslim-majority country, Malaysia leverages its existing infrastructure, including prayer rooms, halal food options and water-friendly restrooms.
Malaysia's popularity among Muslim travellers is attributed to its accessibility to halal food, faith-related facilities and services, beautiful beaches, diverse cultures and exceptional shopping experiences.
"Malaysia's consistent top ranking in the GMTI highlights its efforts to cater to the needs of Muslim travellers, reinforcing its position as a leading destination in the global Muslim travel market," he said.
Nizran also encouraged industry players around the globe to collaborate with ITC to develop the industry further and suggested creating a standardised Muslim-friendly tourism mark.
"We need to collaborate on establishing a common logo to refer to and market together to promote inclusiveness worldwide.
"Let's set aside our differences and adopt a logo endorsed by OIC countries, enabling people to recognise and trust it.
"This will make travelling more inclusive, allowing Muslims to travel without worry and fostering safe travel environments everywhere," he said.
With global borders reopening, the GMTI report forecasts substantial growth in the Muslim travel market, predicting an increase of 230 million Muslim travellers by 2028, up from 160 million in 2019.
The report predicts that the Muslim travel market will see substantial growth this year, with global international arrivals potentially reaching 168 million, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by up to five per cent.
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