Mastercard and CrescentRating’s Global Muslim Travel Index 2026 reveals 80% of travelers now use AI tools as Muslim travel enters the era of digital trust

Malaysia retains top spot globally, while Indonesia rises to joint second alongside Türkiye and Saudi Arabia.

Mastercard and CrescentRating today released the 11th edition of the Global Muslim Travel Index 2026 (GMTI 2026), revealing how artificial intelligence, digital trust, regional mobility and destination readiness are reshaping the next phase of Muslim-friendly travel.

The report finds that 80% of travelers now use AI tools for travel purposes, signaling a major shift in how travelers discover, evaluate and plan their journeys. As travelers move from active searching to AI-assisted decision-making, destinations must ensure that Muslim-friendly services are not only available, but digitally visible.

GMTI 2026 evaluates 150 destinations, representing more than 98% of global Muslim visitor arrivals, across the ACES framework: Access, Communications, Environment and Services. The latest edition also introduces a stronger focus on AI readiness, digital visibility, smart destination infrastructure, traveler confidence and resilience planning amid a more volatile global environment.

AI and Digital Trust Reshape Muslim Travel Planning

Travel planning is entering a new era where digital tools are moving beyond convenience to become part of the trust infrastructure for travelers. AI-powered platforms can now help travelers identify Halal dining options, locate prayer spaces, compare transport routes, receive personalized recommendations and navigate destinations with greater confidence.

This shift is especially important for Muslim travelers, who often need to validate multiple faith-based requirements before and during a trip. GMTI 2026 highlights that destinations which fail to digitize and structure their Muslim-friendly offerings risk being excluded from AI-driven recommendation systems, regardless of the quality of their physical infrastructure.

In this new environment, the competitive landscape is shifting from service availability to algorithmic visibility. Destinations that make trusted information machine-readable, up to date and contextually available will be better placed to convert travel intent into visits.

“Muslim travel is being reshaped by digital trust, seamless access and the need for greater certainty across the journey,” said Aisha Islam, Senior Vice President, Customer Solutions Center, Southeast Asia at Mastercard. “As AI becomes more embedded in travel planning, destinations and businesses need to make trusted information, secure payments and Muslim-friendly services easier to discover and act on. For Southeast Asia, this presents a strong opportunity to strengthen its position as a connected, inclusive and digitally enabled travel corridor.”

Global Volatility Drives Demand for Safer, Closer Journeys

Amid global volatility, Muslim travel demand remains resilient, but traveler behavior is changing. Rising fuel costs, geopolitical tensions, airspace disruptions and security concerns are prompting more travelers to favor closer, safer and more predictable destinations.

GMTI 2026 identifies this as a shift toward “home-continent” mobility, where travelers adjust itineraries rather than cancel plans entirely. Instead of relying on long-haul routes through complex transit hubs, many are choosing regional corridors that offer greater stability, lower friction and stronger confidence.

For Asian Muslim travelers, Southeast Asia has emerged as a leading operational corridor for 2026, supported by proximity to major source markets, strong air connectivity, established Halal ecosystems and rich cultural appeal.

This momentum is also reflected in this year’s GMTI Awards, where Mindanao in the Philippines was recognized as the Most Promising Muslim-friendly Region (Non-OIC), while Jawa Barat in Indonesia was highlighted as the Most Promising Muslim-friendly Region (OIC), underscoring the region’s growing depth beyond traditional hubs.

As intra-ASEAN travel continues to pick up, regional destinations have an opportunity to meet evolving traveler preferences through stronger digital infrastructure, more visible Muslim-friendly services and seamless payment experiences.

Asia and Southeast Asia Remain Central to Muslim Travel Growth

Asia remains the center of gravity for Muslim travel, recording nearly 128 million Muslim arrivals and a 20.8% market penetration.

For Asian Muslim travelers, Southeast Asia has emerged as a leading corridor in 2026, supported by proximity to major source markets, strong regional connectivity and established Muslim-friendly infrastructure.

Malaysia retained its position as the Top Muslim-friendly Destination of the Year for the eleventh consecutive year, with a score of 83, reinforcing its strength across Halal tourism, Muslim-friendly services, destination marketing and the Visit Malaysia 2026 agenda.

Indonesia climbed three places to share second position with Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, each scoring 79, supported by renewed government-led efforts, major Halal events and continued investment in inclusive destination readiness.

Among non-OIC destinations, Singapore remained first and ranked 11th globally, with a score of 73, supported by its Halal culinary ecosystem, strong safety standards, multicultural environment and smart destination infrastructure. Hong Kong rose to second among non-OIC destinations, while Taiwan and the United Kingdom shared third place.

Thailand, the Philippines, Japan and South Korea also showed momentum, reflecting broader investment in more inclusive travel experiences across Asia.

The report also points to the rise of more digitally enabled destinations, with technologies such as e-visas, biometric border systems, AI chatbots, digital travel assistants, real-time translation and smart destination management helping improve ease of travel and reduce uncertainty across the journey.

From Destination Readiness to Destination Activation

GMTI 2026 also introduces Destination Activation Stack, a strategic model that integrates three frameworks: ACES, which measures foundational destination preparedness; RIDA, which assesses responsible, immersive, digital and assured travel experiences; and TRUST, which evaluates the signals that convert traveler interest into bookings.

Together, these frameworks reflect how Muslim-friendly tourism is evolving. Destinations are no longer assessed only by whether they provide baseline services such as Halal food and prayer spaces. They must also show that these services are accessible, visible, reliable, digitally discoverable and aligned with traveler expectations around safety, sustainability, inclusivity and experience quality.

“As global volatility shifts travel demand toward closer, safer, and more predictable 'home-continent' corridors, destination agility is important.” said Fazal Bahardeen, CEO, CrescentRating & HalalTrip. “Modern travelers are looking for certainty before they step onto a plane, and they are increasingly delegating that validation process to intelligent systems. This requires a structural transition from passive destination readiness to active destination activation. The integration of the ACES, RIDA, and TRUST frameworks into the Destination Activation Stack provides a flexible, multi-dimensional roadmap for tourism boards to build real-time resilience, secure consumer confidence, and future-proof their market share.” 

-ENDS-