| Azlan Othman |
BRUNEI Darussalam has been named the 13th best destination across the globe for Muslim travellers in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries, according to a research survey.
The Sultanate scored full mark (100) in safety aspect and prayer space access and gained 90 in dining options in the latest Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) for 2017, which covered 130 destinations globally.
Brunei also fared better in visa requirements with a score of 74, but scored low in air connectivity (37) and Muslim travel needs awareness and reach-out (26.2). On the whole, the Sultanate scored an average of 64.4.
The Sultanate was in the 12th place in the index last year with an average score of 64.6.
According to the latest GMTI, Malaysia is the top destination for Muslim travellers, followed by Singapore in second and Indonesia in third. Singapore was also ranked as the top non-OIC destination.
The report also found that, in total, Muslim travellers made 121 million international trips last year, up from 117 million in 2015. And this is forecast to grow to 156 million by 2020 representing 10 per cent of global travel. By this time, the sector is expected to be worth $220 billion, up from $155 billion in 2016.
Fazal Bahardeen, CEO of CrescentRating and HalalTrip, said that the growth of Muslim travel is being driven by new types of travellers.
“We are definitely seeing the influence of a new breed of young travellers, millennials and Gen Z who are combining technology with a real desire to explore the world while still adhering to their faith-based needs. They will be the driving force for the next phase of growth,” Bahardeen noted.
“These younger travellers want greater choice, unique experiences and constant connectivity which can be seen with the growth of other Muslim lifestyle segments such as Halal food and modest fashion that link perfectly with the travel market.
“As Muslim travel continues to diversify, keeping on top of the demographics of the travellers though these insights from the GMTI will be paramount for destination management teams and decision makers who are ultimately sourcing solutions for this market,” he added.
Safdar Khan, MasterCard’s Division President for Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, commented, “With an overall expenditure of around $155 billion in 2016, the Muslim travel market remains a strong driver for continued growth in travel across the world. It’s constantly evolving with major forces such as changing demographics and digitisation shaping the way the industry is progressing.”
Asia remained the top region in the world in terms of attractiveness to Muslim tourists with an average GMTI score of 57.6, based on factors such as accessibility, communication, environment and services. Africa took second place at 47, followed by Oceania (43.8), Europe (39.9) and the Americas (33.7).
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