Malaysia followed by the UAE and Indonesia top the 2017 Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI). Turkey which was number three last year slipped as Indonesia increased its score according to an annual survey by a leading authority on halal tourism, CrescentRating.
CrescentRating cooperates with technology company Mastercard in evaluating and ranking countries based on how well they cater to Muslim travelers. Countries with excellent air links like the UAE have a big advantage thanks to the connectivity offered in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. We expect with some stability Turkey will once again improve it’s score this year.
The 2017 GMTI survey covered 130 destinations to create an index based on benchmarks from travelers, tourist boards, economists, travel service providers, stakeholders, investors and industry specialists. The index rates a destination’s access, communications, environment and services.
CrescentRating CEO Fazal Bahardeen said, “The number of Muslim travelers increased from 117 million in 2015 to 121 million in 2016, with total spending estimated at US$155 billion. Muslim travelers contributed about 10% of all global travelers.”
