According to the Department of Tourism (DoT) of the Philippines, there is a need for more establishments in the country that offer halal-friendly food and services to attract the growing global Muslim travel market, projected to spend around US$225 billion by 2028.
Tourism Secretary Christina G. Frasco emphasised the potential of halal tourism but acknowledged that further development was required in the Philippines. The DoT stressed that achieving a larger share of the halal tourism market would require nationwide support, extending beyond Mindanao, the region with the highest Muslim population in the country.
Tourism Undersecretary Myra Paz Valderrosa-Abubakar highlighted the importance of places that understand and incorporate the basic concepts of halal, beyond just food, as a vital aspect of the Islamic faith to attract more Muslim travellers to the Philippines.
