245m arrivals
US $ 235B by 2030
26
A REVIEW ITC 2020-2025
ITC’ s 2020 – 2025 Transformation: From Vision to Velocity
How Malaysia built a world‐leading Muslim‐friendly tourism ecosystem in five pivotal years
“ Islamic Tourism is the future of the world … This is the time for us to open up our doors.”
— Tan Sri Dr Mohd Daud Bakar, RnR Nov – Dec 2022, p. 6
79 / 100
245m arrivals
US $ 235B by 2030
GMTI 2025 SCORE
10 consecutive years at # 1
68
304
Global Muslim travel forecast
MFAR ‐certified businesses
MFTGs active nationwide
Between 2020 and 2025, the Islamic Tourism Centre( ITC) guided Malaysia through a quiet revolution: standardising Muslim‐Friendly Tourism and Hospitality( MFTH), building industry capacity, and translating policy into visitor experiences that are welcoming, authentic and safe.
From the Covid‐19 reset to a sustained rebound, the strategy was consistent – align standards and skills, activate partners, and tell the story with data.
At the height of the pandemic, ITC prioritised groundwork – frameworks, playbooks and training – to prepare businesses for recovery. As borders reopened, that preparation paid off. The Muslim‐Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition( MFAR) programme matured from an idea into a market signal for hotels, attractions and retail.
In parallel, the Muslim‐Friendly Tourist Guide( MFTG) pathway professionalised service delivery, bringing trained guides to the front line of experience.
These recognitions became the connective tissue linking policy( National Tourism Policy 2020 – 2030) with what travellers actually encounter – clear halal assurance, prayer access, modesty‐aware amenities and empathetic hosting.
ITC also re‐centred mosques in the travel conversation through the Mosque Tourism Roundtable( MTRT), Mosque Open Day( MOD) during Islamic Tourism Month( ITM), and a new Tourism Mosque Directory.
Together, these efforts reframed mosques as places of encounter and learning for Muslims and non‐Muslims alike, strengthening community pride while uplifting local economies. Crucially, the approach emphasised respect: visitor readiness, appropriate attire, trained volunteers and multilingual interpretation.
Internationally, Malaysia’ s leadership was validated again and again. In 2025, Malaysia retained its number-one position in the Global Muslim Travel Index( GMTI) for the 10th consecutive year, an outcome attributed to accessible halal food, reliable prayer spaces, quality accommodations, and an overall climate of safety and inclusion.
That recognition, coupled with targeted MOUs( Indonesia, the Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Uzbekistan) and regular presence at regional forums, positioned Malaysia not just as a destination, but as a reference standard for MFTH. And as the GMTI evolved to include women‐friendly and accessible travel sub‐indices, Malaysia’ s inclusive lens – families, seniors, neurodivergent travellers – proved prescient.
By mid‐2025, the narrative was confident and data‐driven, ready for Visit Malaysia 2026( VM2026). Malaysia’ s MFTH story is no longer about discrete projects; it’ s a coherent ecosystem with standards, skills, storytelling and community at its heart.
References: RnR Nov – Dec 2022; RnR July – Aug 2025.