Singapore has been recognised as the leading non-Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) destination in the Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2026, released by Mastercard and CrescentRating. The report highlights Singapore’s robust Halal ecosystem, safety standards, and advanced tourism infrastructure as key factors in its top ranking. This comes as 80% of Muslim travellers now utilise artificial intelligence (AI) tools for trip planning, marking a significant shift towards AI-assisted decision-making.
The GMTI 2026 evaluates 150 destinations, accounting for over 98% of global Muslim visitor arrivals, using the ACES framework—Access, Communications, Environment, and Services. The report underscores the importance of digital visibility for destinations, noting that those failing to digitise their Muslim-friendly offerings risk exclusion from AI-driven recommendations.
Aisha Islam, Senior Vice President, Customer Solutions Center, Southeast Asia at Mastercard said “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.”
The report also identifies a trend towards “home-continent” travel, driven by global volatility. Southeast Asia, with Singapore as a key gateway, has emerged as a significant travel corridor due to its strong connectivity and established Halal ecosystems.
As the Muslim travel market continues to grow, destinations are encouraged to enhance their digital infrastructure to remain competitive. The GMTI 2026 highlights the importance of integrating digital tools like AI chatbots and smart destination management to improve traveller experiences and reduce uncertainty.
