OIC countries emerge as top destinations for Muslim women travellers

OIC nations dominate the top 10 destinations for Muslim women travellers due to their established halal-friendly infrastructure and services, a new report has revealed. 

Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia remain the top three destinations for Muslim female travellers, with Turkiye and the UAE rounding off the top five countries, the Muslim Women in Travel 2026 report by Mastercard and CrescentRating, revealed. 

Two non-OIC countries - Singapore and South Korea - made it to the top ten list by leveraging targeted marketing campaigns and integrating specialized facilities, the study showed.  

Muslim women travellers grew substantially over the last decade, from 63 million in 2019 to 90 million in 2025, recording a three-percentage-point lift in segment share, and reflecting a significant shift toward independent and meaningful journeys. 

Muslim women are also primary decision-makers and planners, particularly within the Millennial and Gen Z cohorts. Meanwhile, solo travel has risen from 28% to 35% among Muslim women - led by 18-to-24s. Next-generation tools are also driving the momentum, with nine out of ten Muslim women travelers trusting AI for travel information.

Around 43.6 million MENA-based Muslim women travelled last year, making the region the biggest source market, followed by Central Asia (11 million), Western Europe (7.5 million) and South Asia (6.8 million).