When the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) was first codified, faith-compatible travel was primarily evaluated as a specialist niche. A decade later, the GMTI 2026 edition marks a structural milestone, tracking a global market that has expanded into a mainstream economic powerhouse—reaching 196 million international Muslim arrivals (an 11.3% year-on-year surge) on a trajectory toward 262 million arrivals and USD 310 billion in annual expenditure by 2030.
Looking at the longitudinal data spanning 2015 to 2026 across 150 benchmarked tourism ecosystems reveals a story of both unshakable domain leadership and intense competitive realignment among the world's top destinations.
The Undisputed Anchor: Malaysia’s 11-Year Winning Streak
At the top of the index stands Malaysia, maintaining an unbroken lock on the #1 spot for over a decade. Increasing its score by 4 points in 2026 to reach 83 out of 100, Malaysia’s sustained supremacy is backed by a whole-of-government ecosystem led by the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC).
From standardized national accreditation (MFAR) and specialized tourist guide certifications to universal Halal food availability and Surau (prayer room) access across public transit, Malaysia remains the gold standard against which all other markets measure themselves.
The Historic Surge: Indonesia’s Decade-Long Ascent
In 2015, Indonesia sat at #10 globally. Over the past decade, driven by expansive national policy shifts, major Halal expos (such as the Indonesia Sharia Economic Festival), and coordinated stakeholder investments, Indonesia steadily climbed the ranks.
In GMTI 2026, Indonesia achieved one of its strongest performance surges—gaining 3 points to register a score of 79 and climbing three spots to share the #2 ranking globally alongside long-standing heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. Indonesia’s ascent highlights how a non-stop focus on upgrading local Halal infrastructure can transform a destination into a global powerhouse.
The Middle Eastern Realignment: Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Qatar, and the UAE
A decadal view of the Middle East reveals significant shifts in market momentum:
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 Engine
Climbing from #6 in 2015 to joint #2 in 2026, Saudi Arabia’s rise reflects massive infrastructure investments, high-speed rail networks, and e-visa integrations that allow tourist visa holders to perform Umrah seamlessly.
Türkiye’s Preservation
Consistently occupying a top-tier position throughout the 11-year trajectory, Türkiye balances rich Islamic heritage with vast international air connectivity via Istanbul’s global hub.
Qatar’s Mega-Event Gains
Qatar climbed from #7 in 2015 to #5 in 2026, leveraging global sports tournaments (like the FIFA World Cup) and digital visa streamlining to position Doha as a luxury, faith-friendly travel capital.
The UAE’s Competitive Pressure
While the United Arab Emirates led the Middle East for much of the past decade, it dropped four places to #6 in 2026. This shift does not reflect an infrastructure decline, but rather highlights how rapidly neighboring destinations have accelerated their own readiness standards.
The Gulf Cohort & The Changing Lower Tiers
Further down the leaderboard, Bahrain registered the largest single index jump in 2026, climbing 5 spots to share #7 globally alongside Iran and Kuwait. Meanwhile, Oman holds the #10 spot.
One notable historical departure from the Top 10 is Jordan. While Jordan held a solid top-10 position for years, relative improvements across Asian and Gulf peers pushed it to #12 globally in 2026.
Non-OIC Pioneers: Singapore’s Unbroken Lead
Outside of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states, Singapore has maintained an absolute lock on the #1 Non-OIC position for over a decade (and ranks #10 globally overall with a score of 73). Powered by MUIS-certified Halal gastronomy, Changi Airport's smart-transit facilities, and high public safety metrics, Singapore proves that non-Muslim-majority destinations can deliver world-class faith-inclusive hospitality.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong has emerged as the premier tier-1 challenger, rising from historical baselines to firmly capture the #2 Non-OIC rank in 2026 following government-led hotel and transit accreditation programs.
What the Next Decade Demands: The Shift to Algorithmic Visibility
The key takeaway from 11 years of GMTI data is that the rules of tourism competition have permanently changed. In the early years of the index, success depended on physical availability—having Halal food and prayer spaces on the ground.
Today, with 80% of global travelers utilizing AI tools for trip discovery, destinations face an immediate data risk. Destinations that fail to digitize and structure their faith-based assets into algorithm-ready, machine-readable formats run the risk of being excluded from automated recommendation loops. As the market enters its next decade, the destinations that lead will be those that pair physical infrastructure with live algorithmic visibility.
See the complete rank shifts over the decade in the Global Muslim Travel Index 2026 report here.
