The Philippines has climbed from 12th to 8th place among non-Islamic countries in the 2025 Global Muslim Travel Index by Mastercard and CrescentRating, with its GMTI score increasing from 47 to 53 points.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco attributed this recognition to the Department of Tourism's strategic efforts to improve halal food accessibility, prayer-friendly facilities, and cultural inclusivity across key tourist destinations.
The country's initiatives include launching the first-ever Muslim-friendly beach cove "Marhaba Boracay" and establishing partnerships with hotel chains like Megaworld Hotels & Resorts, which became the first Philippine hotel group to achieve 100% Muslim-Friendly Accommodation Establishment status across all 13 properties.
CrescentRating and Halal Trip CEO Fazal Bahardeen praised the Philippines' "significant strides in embracing the Muslim travel market" alongside destinations like Hong Kong and Taiwan, highlighting the government's proactive strategies in building inclusive tourism ecosystems.
This achievement positions the Philippines to tap into the growing Muslim travel market, which reached 176 million international arrivals in 2024 and is projected to grow to 245 million travelers spending $230 billion by 2030, according to the Global Muslim Travel Index report.
