COVER STORY

@ Halal | July-August. 2025

According to DinarStandard’ s State of the Global Islamic Economy 2024 / 25 report, a more discerning, experience-driven, and digitally savvy generation is leading a silent transformation in global tourism.

They’ re younger, wealthier, and more connected- balancing faith with exploration, values with lifestyle.

“ Muslim travellers are getting more and more sophisticated,” notes DinarStandard Partner Reem El Shafaki.

“ They want service excellence, high-quality products, and meaningful experiences.”

What this means for destinations: the old playbook is obsolete.

Having a halal logo or a Qiblah sticker is now a baseline requirement. The new frontier lies in:

• Curated heritage trails tied to Islamic civilisation

• Wellness retreats guided by prophetic traditions

• Adventure experiences that respect modesty and family norms

From halal glamping in Cappadocia to digital-first booking apps in the UAE, the evolution is well underway. Destinations that ignore these shifts risk irrelevance in a market projected to hit US $ 225 billion by 2028.

Welcome to the age of the Muslim Traveller 3.0- navigating the world with faith as a compass and curiosity as fuel.-

• Global Muslim travel spending:

US $ 133 billion

( Up 53.2 per cent from 2022)

• Projected Muslim travel spend by 2028:

US $ 225 billion

• Top Muslim-Friendly Destinations( GIEI 2024):

• Digitalisation of Halal Certification: Adoption of AI and blockchain to enhance halal traceability, reduce certification delays, and ensure global trust in Malaysian halal exports.

• Regional Expansion: Leveraging Malaysia’ s top GIEI ranking to penetrate ASEAN and OIC markets with quality halal products, supported by strategic trade partnerships.

• Building Ethical Brands: Developing strong, consumer-trusted halal brands rooted in ethical sourcing, sustainability, and local identity to capture the growing demand for ethical consumption.

• Food Security and Resilience: Investing in local halal food production, reducing reliance on imports, and enhancing Malaysia’ s food security while expanding export potential.

• Leveraging Islamic Fintech: Integrating Islamic fintech solutions to facilitate halal SME growth, attract investment, and ensure financial inclusivity across the halal value chain.

• By embracing these strategies, Malaysia can maintain its leadership in the halal economy while ensuring its halal ecosystem remains competitive, innovative, and aligned with global ethical trends. As global ethical consumerism and digital transformation reshape the halal economy, Malaysia is positioned to lead the next wave of halal industry growth. Malaysian halal businesses must embrace innovation and ethics to align with the expectations of the modern Muslim consumer. These insights will empower stakeholders to future-proof Malaysia’ s halal ecosystem for a resilient, competitive, and ethical future.

• Policy & Infrastructure

≤ Strong halal tourism ecosystem. ≤ Institutional leadership via the Islamic Tourism Centre( ITC). ≤ Consistent rollout of standards and training.

• Industry Engagement

≤ Active promotion through events and partnerships. ≤ MFAR certification programme encourages industry adoption.

• Post-Pandemic Recovery

≤ International arrivals are back to pre-Covid levels.

≤ New tourism offerings designed for Muslim families and GCC travellers.

• Cross-Sector Collaboration

≤ Alignment between tourism, religious, certification, and investment agencies.

• Future-Oriented Vision

≤ Plans for Islamic-themed resorts, Web3.0 economy events, and heritage-focused branding.