The Philippines has once again been recognized as an “Emerging Muslim-friendly non-Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) destination” in the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2024 for the second consecutive year, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said on Saturday, June 1.
The citation was announced at the Halal in Travel Global Summit in Singapore on Thursday, May 30, coinciding with the release of the annual Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI), which benchmarks destinations in the Muslim travel market.
“In its 2024 results, the GMTI described the Philippines as an ‘Emerging Muslim-friendly non-OIC Destination’ focusing on building capacity to welcome tourists through various initiatives,” the tourism department said in a statement.
These include offering Halal food throughout the destination and incorporating Muslim-friendly amenities at major tourist attractions, it added.
According to the DOT, tourism authorities have made Halal tourism a top priority, demonstrated by their actions to enhance the Halal tourism portfolio and increase awareness among stakeholders about the values and practices significant to Muslim travelers.
Mastercard said the Philippines logged an increase in its score on communications compared to 2023.
“Among non-OIC destinations, the Philippines has steadily increased its appeal to Muslim tourists by strategically developing their Halal Tourism portfolio, enhancing halal accreditation of hotels and restaurants, and conducting Halal awareness orientations. This effort builds on their achievement of winning the Emerging Muslim-friendly Destination of the Year award in last year’s Halal in Travel Global Summit, based on GMTI 2023 results,” it stated.
Tourism Secretary Christina G. Frasco said the DOT acknowledges the importance and potential of Halal Tourism in enhancing the growth and diversity of the country's tourism industry.
“As a country known for its warm hospitality, rich cultural heritage, and breathtaking natural attractions, catering to the needs of Muslim travelers through the development of Halal Tourism is crucial in ensuring that we raise our competitiveness in the global tourism market," she stated.
The DOT chief said Halal Tourism presents a rapidly growing market segment.
“By prioritizing this, we not only demonstrate our commitment to inclusivity and cultural sensitivity but also open up opportunities to attract more Muslim travelers from around the world, while expanding markets for our tourism stakeholders and creating more livelihood and employment for our fellow Filipinos,” said Frasco.
The summit coincided with President Marcos' state visit to Brunei Darussalam, during which Frasco signed a tourism cooperation agreement with her counterpart to enhance Halal Tourism in the Philippines, among other initiatives, according to the agency.
Halal Tourism is a key focus of the recently approved National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) for 2023 to 2028.
