Bangkok, August 19 (AseanAll)  — The Thai government has attached great importance to attracting more Muslim tourists from all over the world and aims to develop Thailand as one of the world’s top five “Muslim-friendly destinations” by 2027.

Toward this aim, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand has provided training for tourism operators and interested persons in designing tourism products and services in response to the needs of Muslim tourists.  It has also mapped out strategies to promote Thailand’s tourism in the Muslim market in the next five years, from 2023 to 2027.

The first strategy seeks to enhance the skills of tourism operators to international standards.  In the second strategy, tourism products, services, and activities will be developed to accommodate Muslim tourists.  The third strategy seeks to promote the use of technology to facilitate travel for Muslim tourists.  In the fourth strategy, all relevant agencies will strengthen their cooperation to accommodate Muslim visitors.  In the fifth strategy, more opportunities and awareness will be created on Thailand’s readiness to cater to Muslim travelers.

In 2022, Thailand welcomed over three million Muslim tourists, most of whom were quality tourists with high purchasing power.  Deputy Government Spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek said that the report by the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index 2022 showed that Thailand ranked the third most popular non-Muslim country/ state/ territory among Muslim tourists.

Thailand has great potential to serve the Muslim market.  It welcomes numerous Muslim tourists from all over the world every year.  Halal food can be found in many places in Thailand.  It is also important for Thailand to have the necessary products and services catering to the Muslim market.

As Thailand positions itself as a Muslim-friendly destination, the strategies to promote its tourism in the Muslim market are expected to encourage more Muslim tourists to visit Thailand.