PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is eyeing 10.3 million Muslim visitors during the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign and 15.2 million by 2030 as it builds up its Muslim-friendly tourism ecosystem, says Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) director-general Mohammad Faisal Abu Suaib Khan.
“For VM2026, we are targeting 10.3 million international Muslim arrivals out of 47 million visitors overall,” he said.
The goal, he said, was not just to boost arrivals but to ensure Muslim tourists feel comfortable and well looked after.
He noted that ITC had worked towards developing a Muslim-friendly tourism and hospitality ecosystem since 2009 to guide industry players.
The opportunities, he said, covered hospitality, transport, retail, halal dining, wellness, modest fashion and community-based tourism.
He said South-East Asia remains the core market, with some 274 million Muslims in the region, but Malaysia is also targeting those from the east, central and south Asia.
In an interview, Faisal said geopolitical tensions, particularly in the Middle East, meant that safety and comfort were key factors in travel decisions.
Malaysia, he noted, is well placed as a peaceful, culturally diverse and Muslim-friendly destination with ample halal food, prayer facilities and gender-sensitive services.
This ecosystem is underpinned by ITC’s Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition (MFAR) and Muslim-Friendly Tourist Guide programmes.
Malaysia now has 365 Muslim-friendly tourist guides and 100 MFAR-recognised hotels and travel agencies.
In May, ITC signed a Memorandum of Mutual Recognition with Russia’s RusQuality at KazanForum 2026, allowing both sides to use each other’s Muslim-friendly tourism logos and branding, while destinations such as Sri Lanka, Taiwan and the Philippines have also sought ITC’s guidance.
Faisal said the interest from non-OIC countries and global brands showed that Muslim-friendly tourism rests on values with broad appeal such as safety, cleanliness, modesty, comfort and respect for diverse traveller needs.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Nigel Wong said the industry should build a broader Muslim-friendly travel ecosystem.
He said Muslim travellers, like any other tourists, come from diverse cultural backgrounds and want to explore new cultures while meeting basic religious needs.
“Malaysia’s multicultural make-up already gives it an edge,” he said.
Wong noted that Malaysia is already a popular umrah connectivity hub with strong pilgrim traffic through KL International Airport – a high-value niche that can be tapped by turning umrah transit passengers into future leisure tourists through short stopover packages in Kuala Lumpur.
Wong said that MATTA, together with several associations, had brought European Muslim tour operators to Malaysia on a familiarisation trip.
“Getting potential trade buyers to experience the country first hand greatly improves the chances of turning interest into actual bookings.”
Malaysia received 9.7 million Muslim visitors last year.
MFAR sets Muslim-friendly standards that give Muslim travellers added assurance.
It is open to sectors ranging from accommodation, travel agencies and spas to medical facilities, transport hubs, shopping centres, theme parks, rest areas and convention or trade centres.
