Leaders in Muslim-Friendly Tourism Celebrated at Halal In Travel Awards 2023: Recognizing 16 Outstanding Awardees from Across the Globe

Singapore, June 20, 2023 — At Village Hotel Katong Singapore, travel professionals gathered on the last day of the 3rd Halal In Travel Global Summit 2023 to witness the unveiling of this year’s Halal In Travel Awards. The award recognizes excellence in destinations, service providers, and marketing campaigns that have shown remarkable commitment and innovation in catering to the global Muslim travel market.

This year, 16 awardees have been recognized across three categories: 

• Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index Awards 

• Muslim-friendly Service Provider Awards

• HalalTrip Travelers Choice Awards

The Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index Awards acknowledge leading destinations that have made remarkable contributions and innovations in the Halal Muslim Travel space. This award celebrates destinations that have secured the top position amongst 138 countries worldwide in this year’s 8th Global Muslim Travel Index. Today, the Global Muslim Travel Index serves as a compass for destinations to assess and evaluate their services as a commitment to create an exceptional environment for the growing Muslim travel market.

The Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index Awards category witnessed the recognition of six destinations for their unwavering commitment to creating a Muslim-friendly environment:

• Top Muslim-friendly Destination of The Year: Joint Winners Indonesia & Malaysia

• Top Muslim-friendly Destination of The Year (Non-OIC): Singapore

• Muslim Women-friendly Destination of the Year: Malaysia

• Emerging Muslim-friendly Destination of The Year (Non-OIC1): The Philippines

• Most Accessible Destination of The Year by Air: Türkiye

• Sustainable Destination of The Year: Japan

• Stakeholder Awareness Campaign of The Year: Indonesia

“The global halal market comprises approximately 1.9 billion Muslims who have evolved beyond the traditional focus of just food-related products. The halal industry has expanded to encompass lifestyle offerings, including Halal travel and hospitality,” said Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Republic of Indonesia, Dr. Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno. He added, “Our goal is to ensure a comfortable travel experience, practicing faith and exploring while you enjoy the destination.”

“To be continuously commended by our peers in Islamic tourism gives Malaysia a great sense of responsibility as one of the pioneers of Muslim-friendly travel. It is heartwarming to witness the shift where Muslims are now being recognized as a significant market and presented with a wider travel option as more destinations start tapping into this market.” said Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Malaysia, Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan. 

“Through our strategic initiatives and fruitful collaborations, we at the Department of Tourism (DOT) have worked tirelessly to ensure that our services and amenities cater to the specific requirements of the Muslim market,” said Undersecretary, Department of Tourism Philippines, Myra Paz Valderrosa-Abubakar. She added, “We at the DOT recognize the importance of Halal travel and the need for services that cater to their needs. We are wholeheartedly dedicated to ensuring that your experiences in the Philippines will be memorable, comfortable and aligned with their values and practices.” 

Recognizing the paramount importance of catering to the needs of the Muslim community, the Muslim-friendly Service Provider Awards celebrates establishments that have exceeded expectations in curating services catering to the needs and wants of Muslim travelers. These awards have acknowledged organizations for their exceptional and tailor-made offerings:

• Muslim-friendly Hotel Chain of The Year: Shaza Hotels, United Arab Emirates

• Muslim-friendly Hotel of The Year: Wome Deluxe, Antalya, Türkiye

• Muslim-friendly Cruise Line of The Year: Resorts World Cruises - Genting Dream Cruise Ship, Singapore

• Muslim-friendly Tour Operator of The Year: Holiday Bosnia

• Muslim-friendly Game Reserve and National Park of The Year: Aquila Private Game Reserve and Spa, Cape Town, South Africa

• Halal Travel Tour Guide of The Year: Abdul Maalik Tailor, London, United Kingdom

“Resorts World Cruises is delighted to receive the ‘Muslim-friendly Cruise Line of the Year’ award that recognises our efforts and commitments in pioneering new offerings that make a difference in the cruise sector,” said President of Resort World Cruises, Michael Goh.

“This award exceeds the buildings that we have, it exceeds the on site prayer rooms that we have, it exceeds the Muslim-friendly services facilities that we offer. It actually speaks volume and it’s a testament to our staff and teams back in Cape Town,” said Group Marketing and Trade Manager, Aquilla Collection, Johan Van Schalkwyk.

Celebrating the destinations loved by Muslim travelers, the HalalTrip Travelers Choice Awards inspire and captivate those seeking halal-friendly travel experiences. This year’s HalalTrip Travelers Choice Awards honored these destinations:

• Most Promising Muslim-friendly City Destination of The Year (Non-OIC): Taipei City, Taiwan

• Islamic Heritage City Destination of The Year: Khiva, Uzbekistan

• Halal Travel Marketing Campaign of The Year: Málaga, Spain

“We have the Muslim-friendly attractions and accommodations certification program and organize celebration for the Eid al-Fitr festival since 2016,” said Commissioner, Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government, Su-Hui Chen. She added,  “I would like to thank our Muslim community for their efforts. They motivate us to provide safe, peaceful and diverse choices to Muslim travelers and residents.”

“Málaga is so broad, a beautiful city, rich in history and culture, and we are committed to providing a welcoming and an inclusive environment for all visitors,” said The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to Singapore, Mercedes Alonso Frayle. She added, “We are proud of the work that was done to create a Halal travel marketing campaign that is effective and engaging, that has generated a lot of interest among Muslim travelers, and we’re excited to see the positive impact that it has on the local economy.”

“We would like to congratulate all the winners for their exceptional commitment and invite the global travel industry to continue working towards creating more inclusive and welcoming experiences for Muslim travelers,” said CEO of CrescentRating and Halaltrip, Fazal Bahardeen.

The awards were presented during the Halal In Travel Global Summit 2023, a pioneering event dedicated to driving growth, innovation, and inclusivity in the global travel and tourism industry. The summit and awards aim to shine a spotlight on leaders who are paving the way for a more inclusive and diverse travel sector.