SINGAPORE – Singapore has emerged as the top-ranking non-Islamic destination in the latest Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI), placing 11th overall in a comprehensive study of 150 global destinations.
The index, released June 18 and produced through a partnership between Mastercard and CrescentRating, evaluates destinations based on their ability to attract and accommodate Muslim travelers. The 150 locations analyzed represent more than 98% of all Muslim visitor arrivals worldwide, with indicators ranging from halal food access and prayer facilities to safety, connectivity and digital readiness.
The ranking follows a 2025 assessment by The Economist, which identified Singapore as the world’s second-richest country by GDP per capita, suggesting a high level of infrastructure and service capability that supports its standing in the travel index. It also aligns with the city-state’s broader positioning as a tightly regulated, high-trust hub, anchored by clear tourism standards set by the Singapore Tourism Board and national digital and data rules.
Integration of AI in Travel Planning
The GMTI report highlights a significant shift in how travel decisions are made, specifically noting the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) among Muslim tourists. Approximately 80% of these travelers now utilize AI-powered tools to identify destinations, evaluate options and organize their itineraries, from searching for nearby halal-certified restaurants to checking prayer times and mosque locations in real time.
Aisha Islam, senior vice-president of Mastercard’s Southeast Asia customer solutions center, noted the necessity for industry adaptation in response to this trend.
“As AI becomes more embedded in travel planning, destinations and businesses need to make trusted information, secure payments and Muslim-friendly services easier to discover and act on,” Islam said.
This trend is mirrored in broader global travel patterns. A survey conducted in March by travel platform Klook indicated that 91% of travelers worldwide use AI travel planners to select destinations, build itineraries and search for deals, signaling a structural shift in how demand is generated across the tourism value chain.
For tourism authorities and regulators, the acceleration of AI in trip planning is no longer a peripheral technology issue. It touches consumer protection, data governance and even destination branding, as governments weigh how much of their visitor messaging is now mediated by third-party algorithms rather than official channels.
Trust Deficits and Technical Risks
Despite the high rate of adoption, a significant gap remains between the use of AI and the trust placed in its outputs. Data from a Booking.com survey reveals a stark contrast in user confidence:
- 91% of respondents express concerns regarding AI, including data security, bias and transparency.
- 35% of respondents fully trust AI-generated recommendations.
Industry experts identify “hallucinations”-instances where AI generates false or misleading information that appears credible-as a primary risk. In a travel context, these errors can manifest as flawed route recommendations, inaccurate itineraries, or outdated visa and border requirements, potentially resulting in costly logistical mistakes for travelers.
Such risks are increasingly drawing the attention of policymakers. In the European Union, for instance, the new AI Act sets out obligations for providers of high-risk AI systems, including transparency and robustness requirements that could affect how large-scale travel recommendation engines are designed and audited. While most consumer trip-planning tools fall below the highest risk tiers, the rules signal that governments are preparing to scrutinize algorithmic decision-making that shapes cross-border mobility.
Impact on Tourism Distribution
Beyond individual accuracy, there are systemic concerns regarding how AI influences the flow of tourism. Analysts warn that AI algorithms may inadvertently create an imbalance in visitor distribution, reinforcing existing winners and leaving emerging destinations behind.
Because AI tools frequently prioritize well-known locations and destinations with high online visibility, there is a risk that already popular attractions will face increased overcrowding. Simultaneously, smaller hotels and niche destinations with limited digital footprints may struggle to appear in AI-generated suggestions, potentially hindering their economic growth and diluting efforts at more balanced national tourism development.
For governments and local authorities, this dynamic complicates long-standing policy goals around dispersing visitors beyond city centers, protecting heritage sites and managing the environmental footprint of mass tourism. Some national tourism organizations are already testing partnerships with AI platforms to inject verified, real-time data on capacity, events and regulations into recommendation engines, in a bid to steer travelers toward lesser-known regions.
In a city-state as compact as Singapore, where visitor flows are tightly managed against infrastructure limits, officials are watching how AI may concentrate demand in marquee locations such as Marina Bay or Sentosa while leaving culturally rich neighborhoods with strong halal offerings, like Kampong Gelam, comparatively underexposed in machine-generated guides.
View of Singapore’s skyline featuring the famous Merlion fountain. Photo from Pexels
Industry experts expect the reliability of AI travel planners to increase as businesses prioritize better data sharing and digital integration. The goal is to provide AI systems with greater access to real-time information to reduce inaccuracies and refine recommendations. Singapore, which has framed AI and data use within its broader digital governance agenda, including its Personal Data Protection Act, is positioning itself as a testbed where regulators, platforms and travel operators can experiment with AI-enhanced services while maintaining strong consumer safeguards.
For Muslim travelers specifically, the convergence of trusted AI tools, halal-conscious infrastructure and clear regulatory guardrails may determine which destinations move from being indexed as “Muslim-friendly” on paper to becoming default, AI-suggested choices in practice. Singapore’s performance in the GMTI suggests it intends to be near the front of that queue.
