Proving that the Philippines is an emerging destination for Muslim tourists, arrivals from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC Middle East) have perked up by 115 percent, data from the Department of Tourism said.
In 2023, foreign tourist arrivals from the GCC have overtaken the 2019 figures, reaching 79,041 and posting a 115.28 percent recovery rate.
Arrivals from the Middle East region accounted for 68,562 in 2019.
For the 2023 numbers, the United Arab Emirates led the surge of tourist arrivals to the Philippines with 33,769, followed by Saudi Arabia (19,311), Qatar (10,438), Kuwait (6,915), Bahrain (5,886) and Oman (2,695).
Meanwhile, tourists from Bahrain totaled 3,296, while Oman and Qatar had 2,526 and 2,491 visitors, respectively.
GMTI 2024 Rankings
Meanwhile, according to Mastercard, “the Philippines recorded 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 its 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 Global Muslim Travel Index 2023 results.
With this, it is said that the Philippines was recognized as an Emerging Muslim-friendly Destination for the second straight year.
The Philippines has been recognized as an Emerging Muslim-friendly non-Organization of Islamic Cooperation in the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2024.
The citation was announced at the Halal in Travel Global Summit held on Thursday in Singapore.
The GMTI is an annual report benchmarking destination 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. These include Halal food across the destination and integrating Muslim- Friendly amenities at major tourist spots. Tourism authorities have placed Halal tourism high on their priority agenda, evidenced by their action to enhance the Halal tourism portfolio and raise awareness among tourism stakeholders about the values and practices important to Muslim travelers.”
“The Philippine Department of Tourism recognizes the significance and potential of Halal Tourism in contributing to the growth and diversity of our 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,” said Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, reacting to the reports.
“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,” added the tourism chief.
Meanwhile, Fazal Bahardeen, Founder and CEO of CrescentRating, said “It is positive to see the Philippines continue to improve its score, which demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the Department of Tourism to bolstering Muslim-friendly tourism and advancing the destination’s appeal.”
