Hong Kong named third most Muslim-friendly non-Islamic travel hotspot
Hong Kong has been recognised as the third most Muslim-friendly travel destination in the world among non-Islamic economies, according to the Mastercard-CrescentRating 2025 Global Muslim Travel Index. Although this marks a one-place improvement for the city, some industry insiders believe there is still potential for better attracting more visitors.
On Friday, the Hong Kong Tourism Board announced the ranking, and the city was also awarded the title of 'Most Promising Muslim-friendly Destination of the Year.'
CrescentRating, a Singapore-based research and consultancy firm specialising in the Muslim travel market, was commissioned by the Hong Kong Tourism Board last year to assess and rate the city's facilities for their Muslim-friendliness.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on social media that he was 'delighted' with the latest ranking.
'These international accolades fully recognise Hong Kong's efforts in promoting halal tourism,' he said, noting that creating a more Muslim-friendly environment for travellers was part of his policy address last year.
'I am grateful for the active participation of various industries in promoting halal tourism, which has significantly enhanced our tourism offerings.
'Moving forward, the government will continue to strengthen promotional efforts to highlight Hong Kong's Muslim-friendly image and encourage more businesses to provide high-quality services.'
Supporting Hong Kong's Muslim community during Ramadan
Board chairman Peter Lam Kin-ngok expressed delight at the accolades and said that his office, in collaboration with the government and tourism trade partners, had worked together to position Hong Kong as a Muslim-friendly destination.
'We have done this through a three-pronged approach of accreditation, education and promotion to diversify the city's visitor source markets and visitor segments,' he said.
'We have also facilitated the fostering of closer ties between Hong Kong, the Middle East, and Asean countries in recent years.'
The report highlighted Hong Kong's accelerated efforts to attract Muslim visitors, aiming to diversify its market. It noted that since June last year, more than 60 establishments had received Muslim-friendly accreditation from CrescentRating.
According to the firm, which has so far rated 61 of the city's hotels for their Muslim-friendliness, nine hotels achieved the highest score of five, including the Island Shangri-La, Dorsett Tsuen Wan and Kerry Hotel.
The firm's ratings run from one to seven, but its guidelines state that the higher scores of six and seven are reserved for specialised accommodation catering to 'halal-conscious' travellers, offering halal food and meeting most of their specific needs.
The latest list was topped by Singapore, followed by the United Kingdom in second place. Taiwan secured fourth place, with Thailand ranking fifth.
Among Islamic destinations, Malaysia was first, followed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.
Sharifa Leung, founder of the food products supply and consultancy business Hani Halal, said that while progress had been made in the city, significant challenges remained beneath the surface, especially when it came to businesses' genuine understanding of Halal practices and Muslim culture.
Hong Kong aims to boost halal tourism with new accreditations and facilities. Photo: Dickson Lee
'Many businesses, including hotels and restaurants, lack proper training for their staff,' said Leung, a third-generation Muslim Hongkonger.
'They are eager to get certification, but it may be too rushed and before they fully understand the reasons behind some of the practices.'
For instance, she noted that some tourist attractions or accommodation provided ablution facilities for Muslims, who pray five times a day, but failed to realise that separate facilities for men and women were needed, often resulting in only one shared unit.
In other cases, prayer rooms featured large, reflective windows, conflicting with Islamic practice where distractions while praying should be avoided.
Muslim community in Tunisia uses artificial intelligence to preserve heritage
Some food businesses also lacked understanding of halal practices, and assumed dishes could be considered halal after prayers, while others confused Urdu script for Arabic.
'While expanding halal food options in restaurants and hotels is essential, enhancing the overall tourist experience is equally important,' Leung said. 'We must strengthen the involvement of the Muslim community, foster connections and organise events that specifically attract Muslim travellers,' he added.
'Investing in professional training will ensure that hospitality personnel are sensitive to the dietary preferences of all visitors.'
Establishments owned or managed by Muslim staff tended to gain the trust of travellers from the same culture, she noted.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's shelved plan for 8,300 public flats to face 90% higher cost per home
Hong Kong housing authorities have revealed that the now-suspended plan to build 8,300 public flats in a northern town will face higher costs of up to 90 per cent for each home and require an extra 10 months to complete if it were to press ahead. The Housing Bureau said on Monday that the postponement was prompted by its ground investigation that the site had 'complex geology with a deep bedrock layer'. 'The authority stresses that it has not abandoned the project,' the bureau said. It added that geological issues were expected to bring a longer-than-normal construction period and significant costs for foundation works. The bedrock level had been found at depths exceeding 80 metres (262 feet) below ground in general, with the deepest recorded at 120 metres. If the site were to be used for public housing construction, deep foundation work would be involved, it said. The suspension of the development, including its site formation and infrastructure works, in Fanling was revealed in a document the Housing Department and the Civil Engineering and Development Department submitted to the North District Council last week for a meeting on Monday. According to the paper, the Fanling Area 17 site, spanning about 5.47 hectares (13.5 acres) of both government and private land, is located to the east of Ling Shan Road and Jockey Club Road, south of Ma Sik Road and west of Fan Leng Lau Road. It currently houses the Fan Garden Police Driving and Traffic Training Centre.
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
Chinese router maker TP-Link cuts staff at Shanghai chip unit, retains Shenzhen facility
TP-Link, China's leading Wi-fi router manufacturer, has laid off most employees at a chip development unit in Shanghai amid setbacks, according to people familiar with the matter and local media reports. Lianzhou International, known globally as TP-Link Systems and the overseas arm of the router maker, cut the majority of workers at its Shanghai-based chip unit last week, according to two people with knowledge of the situation, who declined to be named because they are not authorised to speak to news media. The lay-offs, first reported by Chinese media on Saturday, primarily affected employees working on the front-end module of Wi-fi chipsets, spanning roles such as algorithms and verification, according to the reports. The total number of affected employees remains unclear. TP-Link did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. One source said the cuts followed difficulties in chip development, with one product failing to pass final testing. TP-Link's booth at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on March 3. Photo: Shutterstock The move signals a downsizing of TP-Link's overseas business, which comes months after the US government reportedly launched a national security probe into the company in December.
RTHK
an hour ago
- RTHK
Visitor arrivals in May top 4 million
Visitor arrivals in May top 4 million The Tourism Board says last month's arrivals totalled 4.08 million, representing a 20 percent year-on-year increase. File photo: RTHK Hong Kong saw more than 4 million visitor arrivals in May, fuelled by the mainland's Labour Day Golden Week holiday and citywide events, the Tourism Board said on Monday. In a statement, the board said last month's arrivals totalled 4.08 million, representing a 20 percent year-on-year increase. This surge contributed to a strong first five months of the year, with total tourist arrivals topping 20 million between January and May, a 12 percent rise from the same period last year. About 15.2 million arrivals in the first five months of the year were from mainland, marking a 10 percent rise from the previous year, whereas non-mainland visitors totalled about 5 million, an 18 percent increase, with significant growth from Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines. Meanwhile, the Airport Authority said it handled 4.86 million passengers in May, an increase of almost 20 percent compared with a year ago. The authority attributed the growth to more transfer and transit passengers, particularly to and from the mainland and Southeast Asia. It added that cargo volume recorded a 1.4 percent year-on-year last month to 422,000 tonnes, supported by a 12.7 percent rise in transshipments, with Europe and the Middle East being key contributors.
