The Philippines launched a three-volume travelogue on Muslim-friendly tourism on Tuesday, October 21.

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 aims to tap into the multi-billion-dollar Muslim tourism market, providing stakeholders with structured information on cultural contexts, culinary heritage, and destinations appealing to Muslim travelers.

The first volume explores Islam’s historical and cultural foundations in the Philippines. The subsequent volumes include recommendations on dining and travel for Muslim visitors.

Catering to an Increasingly Important Market

During the launch at the Department of Tourism’s headquarters, tourism secretary Christina Frasco noted, “The Muslim travelogue expands opportunities for the country, allowing us to penetrate non-traditional markets and broaden our international arrival reach.”

In 2024, visitors from Muslim-majority countries increased to 613,329, up 23.7% from the previous year, indicating that strategies to attract this demographic are successful.

Frasco expects that initiatives aimed at welcoming Muslim travelers will continue to yield positive results, especially with growing numbers from Malaysia and rising interest from other nations such as Indonesia, Brunei, the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

Thinking Strategically

Since being recognized as an emerging Muslim-friendly destination in 2023, the Philippines has worked to strategically enhance its halal tourism offerings, including accrediting numerous Muslim-friendly hotels. In the 2025 Global Muslim Travel Index, the Philippines ranked eighth among non-Organization of Islamic Cooperation countries.

Furthermore, the Philippines will showcase its appeal at the 2026 Arabian Travel Market in Dubai to attract more Middle Eastern tourists. Previous participation in the ATM in 2025 generated PHP1.18 billion in sales leads, a 233% increase from the year before.