Muslim travellers make up 10 per cent of the travel economy and remain one of the quickest-growing groups of travellers in the world. In 2015, Muslim travellers reached 117 million, and this number is forecasted to grow by another 50 million in the next four years, to a point where this travel group generates more than $200 billion. The Global Muslim Travel Index, from MasterCard and CrescentRating, explores 130 destinations to discover which are most appealing to Muslim travellers.

Destinations are ranked based on their membership or lack of membership in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, an inter-governmental group formed to protect and assist largely Muslim communities in 57 countries. The top OIC destination for the year was Malaysia, followed by the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Indonesia and Qatar. The top non-OIC destination was Singapore, followed by Thailand, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Hong Kong.

Each destination receives an index score compiled by ranking the destination’s suitability for family travel, level of facilities and services, accommodations, marketing initiatives and number of Muslim arrivals. By score, Asia is the leading region for Muslim travel, with Asia Pacific destinations leading more specifically.

“One of the biggest trends we are seeing is non-OIC destinations making a concerted effort to attract the Muslim tourist and they now represent over 63 per cent of the destinations covered in the GMTI,” said Fazal Bahardeen, CEO, CrescentRating. “For example, Japan and the Philippines have taken some major steps over the last few months to diversify their visitor arrivals and boost their economy in the process.”

Other Asian destinations in the top rankings include Taiwan, Japan and Sri Lanka.

“Many already successful destinations around the world are looking to diversify their visitor base to maintain tourist growth rates in today’s increasingly competitive travel market,” said Matthew Driver, group executive, global products and solutions, Asia Pacific, MasterCard. “The fast-growing Muslim travel segment is an opportunity in plain sight but in order to benefit from it, it is crucial to understand the needs and preferences of Muslim travelers and how to adapt and tailor products and services for them.”