MANILA, 12 June 2023: The Philippines has been named the Emerging Muslim-friendly Destination of the Year at the prestigious Halal in Travel Global Summit 2023 held last week in Singapore, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco announced in a press statement.
The Halal in Travel Global Summit 2023 recognises destinations, organisations, companies, and individuals who have significantly impacted the Muslim lifestyle travel segment.
The Emerging Muslim-friendly Destination of the Year (non-OIC) award is given to recipient destinations catering to Muslim travellers’ unique needs and preferences.
The Muslim travel market will drive the tourism industry’s recovery with projections that Muslim traveller arrivals will reach 140 million in 2023 and, in succeeding years, could reach 230 million with estimated expenditures of USD225 billion by 2028.
“This award affirms our collaborative efforts that position the Philippines as a preferred destination for Muslim travellers and strategically develop our Halal Tourism portfolio across our regions. This global recognition also opens up enormous opportunities for our country to introduce our rich and diverse culture and heritage evident in our Muslim communities and our immensely beautiful destinations, including Mindanao,” Secretary Frasco said.
The Department of Tourism has also implemented various services and amenities designed to cater to Muslim travellers. These include the conduct of a comprehensive inventory of Halal-certified dining options and the pursuit of increased Halal accreditations for tourism enterprises across the country, as well as the conduct of Halal Awareness Orientations with Tourism Stakeholders and information dissemination with tourism enterprises on the values, beliefs, and practices of Muslim-travelers.
Recognising global trends and preferences of Muslim travellers, Secretary Frasco said that the Department of Tourism has also continued to pursue its sustainable tourism development initiatives and recently inked a significant agreement with global health and wellness tourism leader Agora to position the Philippines towards providing quality medical and wellness tourism offerings, especially to the Middle Eastern market.
Undersecretary Myra Paz Valderrosa-Abubakar accepted the award on behalf of the Department of Tourism and CrescentRating and HalalTrip, for recognising the Philippine government’s and tourism stakeholders’ efforts.
“We hope to continue the great stride on tourism promotion and economic boost in our country for our Muslim brothers and sisters who are arriving in the Philippines and who are surely welcome to visit and explore our more than 7,000 islands with majestic white sand beaches and warm people,” Undersecretary Abubakar said.
