Brunei (Commonwealth Union)_ In the recently published Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2023, Brunei Darussalam secured the fifth position in Muslim women-friendly destinations. Malaysia gained the top spot as the most friendly destination for Muslim women, emphasizing its overall attractiveness in terms of safety, the absence of faith restrictions, and sustainable socio-economic practices. Next on the list is Indonesia, nearly matching Malaysia’s score, showcasing its extensive efforts in establishing a Muslim women-friendly environment.
Brunei, however, experienced a decline of three places and landed at the 15th spot in the overall ranking of the index, achieving a score of 62. While the Sultanate performed well in categories such as faith restrictions and prayer places and services at airports, it faced challenges in destination marketing, connectivity, and enabling climate. The GMTI, an annual report that evaluates data from across 140 nations, provides insights into destinations that best cater to the needs of the expanding halal travel segment. The index evaluates destinations based on four major criteria: access, communications, environment, and services.
Accordingly, Brunei secured 9th spot in the services category, with Indonesia, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia claiming the top three spots. This showcases their commitment to providing excellent services customized to the needs of Muslim travelers. As the travel restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic have been completely lifted, the global travel industry is experiencing a strong resurgence, showing promising growth over the past year. The reopening of global tourism has instilled confidence and freedom in travelers to embark on journeys, leading to significant progress in tourism activities.
Several destinations have made use of this opportunity by improving connectivity, launching effective marketing and promotion campaigns, promoting a supportive environment, and upgrading services to better meet the needs of Muslim travelers. As per the reports from GMTI, Muslim international travelers reached 110 million in 2022 and are projected to touch 140 million this year. Further, by 2028, it is expected that Muslim arrivals will reach 230 million, with estimated expenditures amounting to USD 225 billion. At present, Asia leads in terms of Muslim arrivals, with over 31 percent of all travelers to the region being Muslims.
