In February 2025, Al-Jazeera Online published an article stating how the halal tourism sector stands to be worth US$410.9 billion by 2032.

Indeed, Halal Times reported in December that Muslim travellers are gravitating towards meaningful and purpose-driven trips where every experience echoes their personal values whilst establishing stronger cultural connections via mindful exploration of various destinations.

As CrescentRating chief executive Fazal Bahardeen remarked last year: “Muslim leisure travellers have similar motivations to others. They want to experience the culture of their destination. The key difference is that they seek to enjoy these experiences without compromising their basic faith-based needs. It’s not just a form of religious tourism.”

As a result, global destinations, hospitality providers, and even cruise lines have been working to provide these travellers with facilities and amenities that both respect their faith whilst offering comfortable and enjoyable stays.

Given current circumstances, however, one would think that the tenor of halal travel has changed for this year; but this is not necessarily the case.

Significant trends for halal travel

Experts point out several key trends in the sector that are changing the way it operates and also reflect current traveller sentiment among Muslims throughout the globe.

For example, as surprising as it may sound, Muslim women travelling alone have been reworking the face of the market, especially as they now account for around 50 percent of Islam-practicing travellers globally.

Thanks to this trend as well as the general increase in women travelling alone, destinations are ramping up facilities and amenities to ensure their safety and security.

Women’s wellness through dedicated centres for health and fitness has also been a trend, along with activities meant to empower women, inviting them to embrace their freedom and identity.

Another surprising trend involves the aggressive adoption of Muslim-friendly practices in destinations where Islam is practically a minority religion.

We have seen this move forward in the nominally Christian Philippines which opened doors for meaningful discourse regarding halal tourism in Q4-2025 even as local hospitality firms began introducing Muslim-friendly measures like women-only floors and prayer rooms paired with ablution facilities.

Also, key regional tourism hubs like Japan and South Korea are seeing the merits of having halal facilities available for travellers who need them, especially as these nations are courting a wider tourist market in West Asia and Muslim-centric areas of Southeast Asia.

Japan, in particular, is fast-tracking the adoption of halal practices as it gears up to host the 2026 Asian Games.

The spread of halal tourism throughout the world has also led to the integration of standard tour offerings with cultural and culinary activities in keeping with religious norms, fostering greater global understanding between races, cultures, and faiths.

The implementation of such practices has likewise made more institutions open to their standardisation, particularly under Halal Plus’ Code 1974 which was originally ratified in December 2012 and has since served as the basis for operating standards in halal tourism worldwide. 

Admittedly, and especially given the racial and cultural tensions felt throughout West Asia and beyond, it may take a while before halal tourism practices become common and mainstream worldwide.

But with standards already in place and even major destinations set to become more welcoming to Muslim travellers, halal tourism is here to stay.