The Department of Tourism (DoT) said it aims to attract more Muslim tourists by the end of the year, following the launch of the agency’s Muslim Travelogue.
“The arrival growth of the travelers from Muslim majority countries has reached 10% this year,” Tourism Secretary Ma. Esperanza Christina G. Frasco told reporters at the sidelines of the launch on Tuesday.
“That reflects an upwards trajectory, and it shows that our strategies to attract Muslim travelers is working,” she added. “We continue to invite our friends from Muslim-majority countries to contribute to our international arrivals.”
The three-volume travelogue aims to be a “practical guide” that provides significant information on cultural context, culinary heritage, and travel destinations relevant to Muslim travelers across the country.
The first volume of the travelogue covers the historical, cultural, and legal foundations of Islam in the Philippines. Meanwhile, the second and third volumes highlight the best Muslim-friendly and halal food spots and destinations.
“We are hopeful that, through all of these interventions we’re providing, to communicate that the Philippines is ready for Muslim travelers that more and more of them would come,” Ms. Frasco said.
The agency reported visitor arrivals from Islamic and Muslim-majority countries reached 613,329 in 2024, a 23.7% increase from the 496,724 record in 2023.
The Tourism chief noted that Malaysia remains in the country’s top ten Muslim-majority market sources, as well as Indonesia, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the Middle East.
In the 2025 Arabian Travel Market (ATM), a business-to-business travel exhibition, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) reported P1.18 billion in sales leads, up by 233% from the previous year.
Building on its successful participation in previous years, the Philippines will join the 2026 ATM in May to attract more tourists from the Middle East.
“My directive to the TPB is to make sure that the presence of the Philippines is always felt in the regions that will have the most impact in terms of arrival and livelihood from Muslim-majority countries,” Ms. Frasco said. — Almira Louise S. Martinez