Malaysia retains top spot among OIC destinations as Halal travel trends evolve
At a glance
- Malaysia retained its position as the leading OIC destination for Muslim travellers, demonstrating sustained competitive advantage in the segment.
- Digital tools, inclusive environments and personalized experiences are reshaping consumer demand, with Halal-friendly facilities becoming essential infrastructure.
What the report covers
The 2025 Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) measures international travel patterns and spending among Muslim travellers across the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states and other destinations. The report tracks market growth, destination rankings, emerging consumer preferences and infrastructure requirements. Published by CrescentRating in partnership with Mastercard, it provides intelligence for tourism stakeholders adapting to the halal travel sector's economic significance and evolving demand patterns.
Key findings
International Muslim arrivals surged to 176 million in 2024, representing a 25% increase from the previous year. This growth trajectory reflects accelerating demand within the Muslim travel segment. Projections estimate the figure will reach 245 million by 2030, signalling sustained market expansion over the medium term.
Malaysia has retained its position as the leading destination among OIC member states for Muslim travellers, underscoring its sustained competitive advantage in the halal tourism market. This ranking reflects the destination's established infrastructure and service standards tailored to Muslim visitor preferences.
Total halal travel spending is forecast to reach USD $230 billion by 2030, demonstrating the segment's increasing economic significance to travel and tourism sectors. This spending growth outpaces arrival growth, indicating rising per-visitor expenditure or longer stays among Muslim travellers.
Consumer preferences are shifting towards digital-first solutions, inclusive environments and personalized experiences. Destinations prioritizing halal-friendly facilities—including prayer spaces and alcohol-free environments—are becoming essential competitive differentiators in attracting and retaining Muslim visitors.
Travel and tourism stakeholders must adapt operational and marketing strategies to meet emerging halal market needs. Innovation and inclusivity are identified as key strategic priorities for destinations, hospitality operators and service providers seeking to capture growth in this segment.
Key numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| International Muslim arrivals growth rate | 25% |
| Top OIC destination for Muslim travellers | Malaysia |
Figures as published in the source; forecasts and survey results are labelled as such in the note.
Why it matters
DMOs & destinations
Malaysia's leadership demonstrates that halal-certified infrastructure and Muslim-centric service standards generate competitive advantage. DMOs must prioritize prayer facilities, alcohol-free venues and culturally-informed marketing to capture share of 245-million-strong projected arrivals by 2030 and position for USD $230 billion global spending.
Hotels & hospitality
Rising per-visitor spending and preference for personalized experiences create revenue opportunities. Hotels should invest in halal certification, prayer rooms, halal dining and staff training. The 25% annual growth rate signals sustained demand; operators delaying adaptation risk losing market share to competitors offering inclusive, digitally-enabled halal-friendly services.
Travel tech & distribution
Digital tools and personalization are explicit consumer demands. OTAs and booking platforms should develop halal-search filters, prayer-time scheduling and verified halal vendor networks. The 245-million-passenger 2030 forecast justifies investment in dedicated Muslim traveller segments; platforms offering transparent halal credentials gain competitive positioning.
Methodology and limits
This brief is based on the publicly available summary from CrescentRating's website only. The full GMTI report was not accessible via the provided URL (404 error). The figures, rankings and consumer insights cited derive from the library metadata and summary description of the 2025 Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index. Specific methodology details—sample size, survey design, data sources or modelling approach—are not available in the public summary provided.
Official source
The report is © CrescentRating. This brief is an original editorial summary by TourismIntel — it quotes only figures published in the source and never reproduces the document.
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