The Philippines launched a three-volume travelogue on Muslim-friendly tourism on Tuesday, 21st October.
Malaysian ambassador Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino, Brunei Darussalam ambassador Megawati Manan and the Saudi Arabia Embassy’s economic officer Kamal Jameel Alwidyani attended the launch.
The travelogue seeks to capture the multi-billion-dollar market as it serves as a reference material for tourism stakeholders for structured information on cultural context, culinary heritage and travel destinations relevant to Muslim travelers.
The first volume encapsulates the historical, cultural and legal foundations of Islam in the Philippines, while the second and third ones feature an overview of the best spots Muslim travelers should eat at and travel.
Catering to an increasingly important market
At the launch held at the headquarters of the Department of Tourism (DOT), tourism secretary Christina Frasco explained: “The Muslim travelogue expands opportunities for the country. It allows us to penetrate non-traditional markets and casts a wider net in terms of international arrivals. It doesn't just feature one or two destinations, it's countrywide. And it doesn't just feature one or two products, it's fully diversified from our islands, our history, our heritage, our culture, and especially our food and the products of our local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).”
In 2024, visitor arrivals from Islamic and Muslim-populated countries stood at 613,329, a 23.7 percent increase from the 496,724 in the previous year.
Frasco added: “The arrival growth of the travelers from Muslim majority countries has reached 10 percent this year. So, that reflects an upwards trajectory, and it shows that our strategies to attract Muslim travelers is working.”
The bulk of Muslim visitors hail from Malaysia, but more travellers from Indonesia, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia are starting to come to the country.
Frasco opined: “We’re hopeful that through these interventions that we’re providing to communicate that the Philippines is open and ready for Muslim travelers, that more and more of them will come.”
Thinking strategically
Since securing recognition as an emerging Muslim-friendly destination in 2023, the Philippines has been targeting the niche market by strategically expanding its halal tourism portfolio.
Over the past year, it has accredited more than a dozen Muslim-friendly hotels in the country.
In 2025, the Philippines was ranked eighth among top 20 Muslim-friendly destinations among non-Organization of Islamic Cooperation members in the 2025 Global Muslim Travel Index list.
The country is also working to make its presence felt across different travel and trade events to introduce the country as a good destination option for Muslims.
The Philippines will also participate in the 2026 Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates to bring in more tourists from the coveted Middle East market.
At the 2025 ATM alone, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) generated PHP1.18 billion in sales leads, marking an increase of 233 percent from the previous year.
