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The city-state has significantly improved its ranking in the list of the world’s most popular destinations for Muslim tourists, reported Singapore Business Review.
According to the Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) jointly compiled by Mastercard and CrescentRating, Singapore rose to sixth spot in the 2018 global ranking from 10th place a year ago.
The city-state also retained its status as the top destination for Muslim travellers among non-member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for the eighth straight year.
“Singapore continues to appeal to Muslim travellers for its enhanced tourism offerings and cultural proximity while also providing for their needs comprehensively,” said Mastercard Singapore country manager Deborah Heng.
For instance, Singapore received the best global score for an environment that can be sustainable in supporting Muslim travellers. It was also ranked third in both ease of access and good communications.
Meanwhile, Malaysia maintained its number one spot in the overall ranking, while Indonesia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) are tied in second place. Amongst non-OIC members, Japan and Taiwan rose to the top five for the first time since the index was published.
“We are now starting to see the impact of investment and commitment by destinations across the world into the Muslim travel market which is reaping rewards including a real shift in the rankings,” said CrescentRating & HalalTrip CEO Fazal Bahardeen.
“The concerted efforts of destinations such as Indonesia, Singapore, Japan and Taiwan using data and insights from the previous GMTI reports have to be commended as they are now closing the gap.”
The report added that the total number of Muslim tourist arrivals in the world rose from about 121 million in 2016 to 131 million last year. By 2020, this is expected to increase to 156 million, with their combined travel expenditure reaching US$220 billion and Southeast Asia accounting for over 18 million of Muslim visitors.
The index covered 48 OIC countries and 82 non-OIC destinations.
Romesh Navaratnarajah, Senior Editor at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
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