The 6th annual Halal in Travel Global Summit (HITGS) 2026 concluded its rich hybrid programming by honoring the institutions, brands, and individuals who are actively upscaling the global visitor economy. The flagship Halal in Travel (HIT) Awards 2026, alongside the debut of the grassroots-focused HalalTrip People Awards, and the second edition of HalalTrip Content Creator Tank winners, celebrated those making a profound operational impact across the multi-billion-dollar Muslim lifestyle travel segment.
Distributed across distinct service tracks, this year's accolades recognized stakeholders who have successfully moved past generic marketing claims to invest in true on-ground readiness, accessibility, and digital trust. Top performers were objectively chosen through a blend of quantitative Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI 2026) datasets and rigorous competitive industry nomination pathways.
Mastercard-CrescentRating GMTI Awards
The GMTI awards represent the premier data-driven benchmarks of destination excellence, celebrating countries and regions that excel in physical infrastructure, safety, and specialized lifestyle services:
Top Muslim-Friendly Destination of the Year: Malaysia — Secured the ultimate global ranking due to its deep-rooted Islamic heritage, an expansive matrix of accredited accommodations, and a mature Halal infrastructure that remains unmatched worldwide.
Top Muslim-Friendly Destination of the Year (Non-OIC): Singapore — Retained its definitive lock as the world's premier non-OIC destination by combining rigid MUIS (Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura) Halal regulatory standards with dense prayer space networks and a safe, inclusive multicultural community.
Emerging Muslim-Friendly Destination of the Year: Indonesia, Türkiye, and Saudi Arabia — Shared a milestone joint second-place standing for the first time, showcasing diverse paths to excellence: Indonesia's vast cultural breadth, Türkiye's blend of secular lifestyle and Islamic history, and Saudi Arabia's immense spiritual significance paired with an aggressively modernizing visitor network.
Emerging Muslim-Friendly Destination of the Year (Non-OIC): Taiwan — Recognized for its continuous upward trajectory, driven by the expanding availability of verified dining choices, clear multi-language guides, and an exceptionally warm, welcoming hospitality culture.
Most Promising Muslim-Friendly City Destination of the Year (OIC): Jawa Barat, Indonesia — Earned top regional honors following its local government's proactive policy enforcement, beautifully supported by the rich Sundanese heritage defining the province.
Most Promising Muslim-Friendly City Destination of the Year (Non-OIC): Mindanao, Philippines — Honored for its dedicated, strategic efforts to translate its intrinsic Islamic history and breathtaking geography into a structured, highly attractive travel corridor.
Accessible Muslim-Friendly Destination of the Year: Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia — Awarded to these three transit powerhouses for executing long-term infrastructure choices—such as wheelchair-friendly pathways, visible multilingual signage, and transit-centric prayer locations—that strip friction away from independent arrivals.
Sustainable Muslim-Friendly Destination of the Year: Germany — Signaled a progressive shift among Western European markets by making tangible advancements in sustainable local halal infrastructure to serve its large resident and visiting Muslim communities.
Top Muslim Women-Friendly Destination: Singapore and Malaysia — Marked a major milestone as the index's first-ever dedicated category for female-centric travel, highlighting destinations that intentionally design safe, highly secure, and privacy-oriented recreation spaces for autonomous female travelers.
Muslim-Friendly Service Provider Awards
This category celebrates the commercial brands, transportation hubs, and private operators who natively tailor their customer journeys around the functional needs of the faith-conscious traveler:
Muslim-friendly Airline of the Year: Turkish Airlines — Celebrated for its unparalleled global connectivity across 120 nations, beautifully paired with dedicated Ramadan programs, prayer-time notifications, and high-quality Halal meal curation.
Muslim-friendly OTA of the Year: Klook — Honored for transforming digital distribution by introducing transparent data on prayer amenities, expanding faith-compatible experience portfolios, and building trustworthy Halal activity listings.
Muslim-friendly Hotel of the Year: Dorsett Tsuen Wan Hong Kong — A model property for metropolitan inclusivity, holding an elite CrescentRating 5 status backed by a fully Halal-certified kitchen and Qibla-aligned guest rooms.
Muslim-friendly Attraction of the Year: Ocean Park Hong Kong — Defended its prestigious CrescentRating Gold status for consecutive years, proving that world-class leisure and uncompromising faith readiness can thrive together.
Muslim-friendly Experience of the Year: Riverside Faraya Cruise, Bangkok — Introduced a premium new category of lifestyle leisure to Thailand by offering Halal-certified dining journeys down the iconic Chao Phraya River.
Muslim-friendly Event Venue of the Year: Taipei Arena, Taiwan — Established a new regional baseline for inclusive MICE infrastructure by embedding custom ablution setups, dedicated prayer zones, and culturally trained service staff.
Muslim-friendly Transport Hub of the Year: Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, Hong Kong — Set a benchmark for maritime gateways by greeting arriving passengers with immediate access to halal snacks, quiet prayer areas, and a deeply welcoming layout.
Halal Restaurant Chain of the Year: Palm Grill, Philippines — Bridged cultural authenticity with culinary excellence, achieving a 2026 Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction as a fully halal-certified, DOT-recognized dining establishment.
HalalTrip Travelers Choice Awards
Voted and verified by active travel networks, this award celebrates campaigns and corridors that bridge cultural storytelling with structural inclusion:
Halal Travel Marketing Campaign of the Year: Jelajah Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Tourism Board — Captured international acclaim through community-rooted, authentic storytelling that invited Muslim audiences to deeply explore the city from a fresh, relatable perspective.
Halal Lifestyle & Travel Personalities of the Year
These individual honors celebrate the thought leaders, academics, and digital creators who are transforming how the travel market is researched, shared, and documented:
Halal Travel Scholar of the Year: Associate Professor Hera Oktadiana, CHE (Indonesia) — Honored as a pioneer in tourism research for founding the Muslim Women in Tourism and Hospitality Network, launching the HaSIM Forum, and publishing foundational text literature.
Halal Travel Influencer of the Year: Juber Ahmed (United Kingdom) — Founder of MuslimsGoTravel, recognized for building an online travel community trusted explicitly because it values real-world lived experiences over engagement algorithms.
Halal Food Personality of the Year: Chef Muhammad Imran (Singapore) — Recognized for his relentless advocacy for culinary tourism, continuously elevating global market expectations for creative Halal gastronomy.
Honoring Excellence
The Halal in Travel Awards 2026 demonstrate that global destination readiness has moved far beyond a generic template. The true industry leaders are those who treat representation, technical clarity, and personal privacy as vital business strategies. CrescentRating and HalalTrip commend all of this year's visionaries and officially invite the global travel community to return to build on these benchmarks at HITGS 2027, scheduled for June 9th–10th, 2027.
