When Muslims travel to non-Islamic countries, they need to be particularly careful about whether the food they eat complies with Islamic teachings. After the end of the epidemic, global tourism has been recovering, and countries have also made impressive progress in improving the quality of tourism. The expected economic benefits brought by the Muslim community are considerable. According to the latest "Global Muslim Travel Index", published by Crescenting Rating in 2022, the number of global Muslim tourists in 2023 will reach 140 million, and it will further increase to 160 million in 2024.

With the huge Muslim consumer group in mind, many non-Islamic countries are creating Muslim-friendly environments through various collaborations. This article will introduce five countries/regions that are the most Muslim-friendly according to the "Global Muslim Travel Index 2022". These places are not members of the "Organization of Islamic Cooperation," but they have rich online resources that make trips convenient for Muslim tourists. If you want to try halal food abroad, you can refer to these resources in advance!

Catalog:

1. Singapore
2. Taiwan
3. Thailand
4. The U.K.
5. Hong Kong

The population of Singapore mainly consists of Chinese people, but its rich immigration history, coupled with its high cultural similarity with neighboring Malaysia, makes Singapore very comprehensive in Islamic regulations. The Southeast Asian country successfully stood out from non-Islamic countries and won the top spot in the Global Muslim Travel Index.

If you want to know where to find halal food in Singapore, you can refer to the "Your Muslim Visitor Guide to Singapore," published by the Singapore Tourism Board. It provides a detailed introduction to the cultures and halal food lists of each district, and each restaurant is certified by the local halal certification institute, "Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura." The guidebook, in short, is a must-read for Muslims who come to Singapore for pleasure.

Your Muslim Visitor Guide to Singapore: click here to read

Singapore ranks first, while Taiwan ranks second. Despite the fact that pork is a staple food for Taiwanese people and the Muslim community is relatively small, there are still many halal delicacies available for Muslim tourists to enjoy. In recent years, with the influx of populations from Indonesia and Malaysia, the Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, has focused on the Muslim consumer group and therefore promoted Muslim-friendly tourism in Taiwan.

To find halal restaurants, you can search on the website of the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation for "Muslim-friendly restaurants and hotels," and filter the most suitable halal restaurants by region and certification type. When looking for restaurants, be sure to confirm the "certification type" because some restaurants on the list "only have some dishes that meet halal standards."

Website of Tourism Bureau: click here to view

Note: In addition to English, the website languages also include Japanese, Korean, Dutch, French, Russian, Spanish, Malay, Indonesian, Thai, and Vietnamese.

As a popular tourist destination, Thailand has gathered many new choices for halal food to attract Muslim tourists from foreign countries. Officially, Thailand has its own halal certification body, the "Central Islamic Committee of Thailand," which proves the Thai government's high level of attentiveness to the Muslim community.

After arriving in Thailand, if you want to know where to find halal food, you can download the mobile application “Muslim Friendly Destination,“ launched by the Thailand Authority of Tourism in 2015. This app not only helps you search for halal food nearby, but also provides information on other Muslim-friendly accommodations and facilities.

European consumers mainly eat pork, making the UK a distinguished exception. Although the UK ranked fourth this year, losing to Thailand compared to last year, it still maintains an important position as a Muslim-friendly country in Europe. Officially, there is no online resource related to halal, but suitable restaurants for Muslims can be found on well-known travel websites such as Halal Trip and Tripadvisor.

Apart from the UK, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation also has high expectations for Spain as one of the most Muslim-friendly countries in Europe. Located near North Africa, Spain has a history of Islamic rule. In order to welcome tourists from neighboring countries, Spain has spared no effort in creating a tourism environment suitable for Muslims. Whether Spain can rank high in the future depends on the results that will be announced in the next year.

With the large influx of foreign population,  Hong Kong, the international port city has gathered a Muslim community of more than 200,000 people. Halal food such as halal dim sum and halal egg tarts have also become ubiquitous in the market. On the other hand, the Hong Kong Tourism Board has integrated halal food restaurants from various districts online, which can be easily viewed on a map.

Halal & Vegetarian Food: click here to check the website

To view the locations of Muslim-friendly accommodations, mosques, and prayer rooms, you can click on “Muslim Travel.“ In addition to locations, you can also browse related articles. With this online resource, Muslims can ensure to enjoy a delicious trip to Hong Kong.

Muslim Travel: click here to check the website

Note: In addition to English, the website languages also include Japanese, Korean, Dutch, French, German, Russian, Spanish, Malay, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Arabic.