If you want a trip where halal food is easy to find, prayer space is close by, and the essentials are sorted before you land, the latest Global Muslim Travel Index gives you a clear place to start. The 2026 edition, published on June 19 at the Halal in Travel Global Summit, ranks 150 destinations on how ready they are for Muslim visitors.
The names at the top will not surprise frequent travelers, but the report also shows where the market is heading and, more useful for planning, how to judge a place for yourself. Here is who leads in 2026, the rising destinations worth a look, and a simple checklist that works anywhere.
- Number one again. Malaysia tops the 2026 ranking with a score of 82, its eleventh year in a row.
- The chasing pack. Indonesia, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia tie for second at 79, with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates close behind.
- Outside Muslim majority countries. Singapore leads, ranking eleventh in the world, followed by Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.
- A bigger market. Muslim travelers took an estimated 196 million international trips in 2025, with spending forecast near 310 billion dollars by 2030.
- What matters most. Reliable halal food, easy prayer access, and information you can trust before you book.
What the 2026 index measures
The Global Muslim Travel Index, produced by Mastercard and CrescentRating, scores destinations on a framework it calls ACES, short for access, communications, environment, and services. In plain terms, that means how easy a place is to reach, how clearly it shares information for Muslim visitors, how welcoming the wider environment feels, and how available halal food and prayer facilities are on the ground.
The 2026 report also sizes the market. Muslim travelers took an estimated 196 million international trips in 2025, roughly 10 million more than earlier forecasts. CrescentRating now expects that to climb to 262 million trips by 2030, with annual spending near 310 billion dollars. Demand is spreading out, too. In 2019, the top 30 source countries accounted for nearly 90 percent of Muslim travelers. By 2026 that share had fallen to 77 percent, as more trips came from communities across Europe, North America, and East Asia.
The destinations that lead in 2026
Malaysia holds the top spot for the eleventh year running, with a score of 82. Indonesia, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia share second place at 79, followed by Qatar at 76 and the United Arab Emirates at 75. These are well established choices with deep halal dining scenes, widespread prayer facilities, and airports used to Muslim travelers.
The more telling movement is in Southeast Asia, which the report flags as the big winner of a shift toward trips closer to home. Rather than long hauls, many travelers are choosing nearby destinations that feel predictable and convenient, and Southeast Asia combines short flights, cultural familiarity, and mature halal tourism, as TTG Asia reported from the summit. If you are weighing the region, neighboring Thailand has also made entry easier, with a 30 day visa free window for many visitors.
Among destinations outside the Muslim majority world, Singapore again ranks highest, placing eleventh globally, with Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom next in line. The report also named Mindanao in the Philippines the most promising emerging region outside Muslim majority countries, and West Java the most promising within them.
Japan keeps adding what Muslim travelers need
The clearest example of a newer destination catching up is Japan, which has spent the past few years building out services for Muslim visitors as its tourism numbers hit records. Tokyo now has more than 100 halal restaurants, and the main gateway airports at Narita, Haneda, and Kansai all offer dedicated prayer rooms. The country counts more than 100 mosques, including the landmark Tokyo Camii.
Hotels have moved too. Chains operating in Japan increasingly provide prayer mats on request, qibla direction in rooms, and staff trained to help Muslim guests, and the national tourism board keeps a planning guide for Muslim travelers with restaurant and prayer space listings. One thing to budget for is the cost of getting in, since Japan has raised several traveler fees for 2026.
How to judge a destination before you book
You do not need an index to vet a place. Four checks cover most of it. First, dining: look for halal certified restaurants, Muslim owned spots, or cuisines where seafood and vegetarian dishes make meals easy. Second, prayer: check whether the arrival airport has a prayer room and whether there are mosques near where you will stay. Third, the hotel: ask whether rooms include qibla direction and prayer mats, and whether the kitchen can handle halal requests. Fourth, and the point the report stresses most, trust: confirm these details from official sources before you travel, rather than hoping to sort them out on arrival.
That last point matters more as trips get complex. If your route runs through Asia, several countries now use digital arrival forms you should complete before you fly, which we cover in our guide to Asia digital arrival cards. Sorting documents, dining, and prayer logistics in advance is what separates a smooth trip from a stressful one.
| If you want | Top picks | Why |
|---|---|---|
| An easy first Muslim-friendly trip | Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore | Highest readiness scores, dense halal dining, easy prayer access, English widely spoken |
| Big hubs with full facilities | Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE | High scores, major airports, and extensive halal and prayer infrastructure |
| A trip outside a Muslim majority country | Japan, Singapore, United Kingdom | Strong and fast growing services for Muslim visitors, with airport prayer rooms |
AI is changing how you plan this
The index also captured a shift in how people research trips. CrescentRating found that about 80 percent of travelers now use AI tools to help plan, and it added a new measure of how well destinations show up in AI powered recommendations. That is convenient, but it comes with a caution. AI assistants can be confidently wrong about whether a specific restaurant is halal or whether an airport prayer room is still open, so treat their answers as a starting point and confirm the specifics on official tourism and airport pages before you commit.
- Yearly updates. The index refreshes each year, so scores and ranks move. Check the current edition when you plan.
- New entrants are rising fast. Japan and the Mindanao region of the Philippines were singled out as quick improvers.
- Verify the details. Confirm specific restaurants, airport prayer rooms, and hotel options close to your travel date.
What is the Global Muslim Travel Index?
It is an annual ranking from Mastercard and CrescentRating that scores destinations on how well they serve Muslim travelers, using a framework covering access, communications, environment, and services.
Which destination ranks first in 2026?
Malaysia, with a score of 82. It has led the index for eleven straight years.
Which places are best outside Muslim majority countries?
Singapore ranks highest, eleventh in the world, followed by Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.
How do I check if a destination is Muslim-friendly before I go?
Look for halal certified or Muslim owned dining, prayer rooms at the airport and mosques nearby, and hotels that offer prayer mats and qibla direction. Confirm the details on official tourism and airport sites before booking.
Photo: Kuala Lumpur skyline by Vyacheslav Argenberg, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).
For broader planning, compare this update with Deep Arrival’s airline planning guides.
