The Hong Kong SAR is gaining traction as a warmly welcoming, affordable, and safe destination for Muslim travellers from Southeast Asia and beyond.
The Chinese special autonomous region was recently ranked third among halal destinations outside the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in CrescentRating and Mastercard’s 2025 Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2025.
This is a step up for Hong Kong from last year when it was ranked in fourth place.
Hong Kong was also ranked second globally in the Muslim Women Friendly Travel Destination (Non-OIC) category and made its debut in first place on the new Muslim-friendly Accessible Travel Destination (Non-OIC) sub-index.
These escalations in rank reflects Hong Kong’s ongoing efforts to make travel more inclusive and convenient for Muslim visitors of all needs and backgrounds.
The rankings are based on each destination’s performance in the annual GMTI, highlighting Hong Kong’s leadership and commitment to Muslim-friendly travel.
A promising destination for Muslim travellers
In addition to its strong performance in the GMTI rankings, Hong Kong also won the title of Most Promising Muslim-friendly Destination of the Year.
Reflecting this growing appeal, visitor arrivals from Singapore rose by 12.7 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, with overnight stays increasing by 7.5 percent.
This is a clear sign of rising demand for Hong Kong’s Muslim-friendly experiences.
Further cementing its commitment, several Hong Kong establishments have also been recognised for their excellence in enhancing the Muslim travel experience, including:
- Muslim-friendly Hotel of the Year: Kowloon Shangri-La, Hong Kong
- Muslim-friendly Hotel of the Year: The Mira Hong Kong
- Muslim-friendly Attraction of the Year: Ngong Ping 360 Limited
- Muslim-friendly Convention & Exhibition Centre of the Year: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
A strong commitment to inclusivity
In light of these achievements, Hong Kong is deepening its commitment to inclusive and halal-conscious tourism, led by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and supported by the government.
Efforts include expanding the number of hotels participating in CrescentRating (CR) accreditation, which evaluates key Muslim-friendly services such as halal food availability and prayer facilities.
At the same time, the city is actively improving access to halal-certified restaurants and lifestyle experiences that cater to modern Muslim travellers.
At present, the city now has 193 Halal-certified and Muslim-owned eateries and 61 hotels have obtained an accreditation rating from CR, which is a testament to the availability of Muslim-friendly facilities at the hotels.
According to HKTB regional director for Southeast Asia Liew Chian Jia: “Since our Muslim-friendly push, HKTB has seen an increasing interest and participation in CR’s accreditation program among the Hong Kong stakeholders. To support this initiative within the Southeast Asia region, we have rolled out a dedicated Muslim campaign named Jelajah Hong Kong that showcases Muslim-friendly experiences for ease of trip planning. We will continue efforts to elevate Hong Kong’s position as a popular Muslim-friendly destination.”
