Ministry of Thailand Tourism Joins Hands with CICOT to Advance “Thailand Muslim-Friendly” Strategy, Aiming for Global Top 5 by 2027

thailand muslim friendly tours

On July 3, 2026, at 10:00 AM, Ms. Natriya Thavisin, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, chaired a meeting to discuss ways to continue cooperation with the Central Islamic Council of Thailand (CICOT). The meeting was attended by Ajarn Saman Adam, Deputy Secretary-General of CICOT, along with his delegation and relevant agencies, to accelerate the drive for the “Thailand Muslim-Friendly Tourism & Sports 2027” strategy at Building C, The Government Complex Commemorating His Majesty the King’s 80th Birthday Anniversary.

The primary goal of this strategy is to push Thailand into the top 5 most popular destinations for global Muslim tourists by 2027. It targets high-quality, high-spending Muslim travelers from both short-haul markets in the ASEAN region and long-haul markets in the Middle East and South Asia.

The implementation will focus on a framework built upon 4 strategic pillars:

• Comprehensive Halal Tourism Hub: Upgrading food and service standards, with the government accelerating support for restaurants, spas, and hotels that are friendly to Muslim tourists.

• Multicultural Tourism Routes (Muslim-Friendly Routes): Developing lifestyle tourism routes in target areas such as Chiang Mai, Yala, Kanchanaburi, Chonburi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Ayutthaya.

• Sports Tourism: Integrating international sports tournaments with the Muslim lifestyle while ensuring appropriate facilities are provided.

• Capacity Building for Operators: Conducting training to elevate the potential of local communities and tourism operators in order to expand the market base to the younger generation of tourists.

Driving this strategy will help businesses expand their customer base into new, fast-growing target groups, reducing the risk of relying too heavily on traditional markets like China or Europe. Additionally, it helps mitigate low-season challenges, as Middle Eastern tourists prefer traveling to Thailand during the rainy season (Green Season). This builds upon previous data showing that in 2022, over 3 million Muslim tourists visited Thailand, which is expected to significantly boost the country’s economic circulation within the tourism sector.

Credit: [Thai Press] – In-depth News