BANGKOK: Thailand remains one of the top destinations for Muslim travellers worldwide, reflecting the country's commitment to integrating a Muslim-friendly environment, according to the latest Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2024 report, released earlier this week.
Thailand ranked fifth, excluding Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) destinations, with a strong GMTI score of 52, 14 points behind top-ranked Singapore and only two points behind fourth-ranked Hong Kong.
According to the report, this achievement demonstrates Thailand's commitment to improving the travel experience for Muslim tourists by increasing halal food options and availability, as well as incorporating Muslim-friendly amenities such as prayer rooms into tourist attractions.
Meanwhile, Thailand's government has demonstrated clear and comprehensive policies to support Muslim travellers, as evidenced by the Tourism department's five-year development plan.
Part of the plan was to establish the country as a "halal hub" in South-East Asia by 2027. The plan aims to expand the country's halal industry in a variety of sectors, including food, apparel, services, and tourism.
Thailand's strategy aims to broaden opportunities for the global Muslim tourism market, attract tourists from the Middle East, and diversify its tourism base.
Piroon Rojanakamolsan, vice president, Financial Institution Lead, Thailand, Mastercard, noted that Thailand has established itself as a top destination for Muslim travellers, consistently ranking high in the GMTI over the years.
He expected that the findings from this year's report would allow local tourism operators and government officials to fine-tune their services and offerings to better meet the specific needs of Muslim tourists.
"As Thailand strives to become South-East Asia's ‘halal hub’, the country can prioritise improving services and amenities for Muslim tourists. This process also includes integrating digital technologies into all aspects of travel, such as making payments safe, smart, and accessible. Mastercard, with its advanced payment solutions, is ready to support improved travel experiences for Muslim travellers in Thailand," he said.
According to the GMTI 2024 report, Southeast Asia remains a popular region for Muslim tourists, with Malaysia and Indonesia consistently ranking first among OIC3 destinations and Singapore first among non-OIC destinations.
CrescentRating founder and CEO Fazal Bahardeen commented: "It is encouraging to see that destinations across South-East Asia not only maintained their rankings in this year's GMTI, but also improved their individual scores."
"This reflects a broader trend of increased consideration for Muslim travellers, with average scores across the index rising by 10%," he noted.
Based on the GMTI report, the Muslim travel market is expected to grow significantly this year, with international arrivals of Muslim travellers reaching up to 168 million worldwide, outpacing pre-pandemic levels by up to 5%.
This increase in volume reflects the segment's growing prominence, which is being driven by demographic and economic expansion, cultural and halal tourism development, and technological advancements that allow for more personalised travel experiences for Muslim travellers, such as apps that locate halal food outlets, Qibla directions, and prayer times.
Artificial intelligence is also helping to further customise travel experiences in order to simplify logistics while adhering to faith traditions, Bahardeen said.
In its ninth year, GMTI uses the ACES framework, which is based on metrics on access, communication, environment, and services, to analyse data from 145 destinations.
The requirements have changed over time to accommodate Muslim travellers' shifting needs. This year, the model was updated with new metrics regarding the accessibility of facilities and services for travellers with disabilities. - The Nation/ANN
