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Japan to become more popular in 2018: Muslim travel index
Japan's popularity among Muslim travelers is set to increase following a study by the MasterCard-CrescentRating Japan Muslim Travel Index (JMTI) 2017, which estimated that the country would welcome more than 1 million Muslim visitors in 2018.
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The Tokyo Tower is lit up against a dusky sky. The capital of Japan is said to be the best-prepared to accommodate Muslim travelers, 60 percent of which came from Southeast Asian countries in 2016. (Shutterstock/File)
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apan's popularity among Muslim travelers is said to increase following a study by MasterCard-CrescentRating Japan Muslim Travel Index (JMTI) 2017, which estimated that the country would welcome more than 1 million Muslim visitors in 2018.
Last year, 700,000 Muslim travelers reportedly visited Japan.
Sixty percent of the Muslims who traveled to Japan came from Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia, which made up 27 percent of Muslim travelers.
Read also: Japan targets Muslim travelers in upcoming travel fair
The study also said that the key drivers of the Muslim travel growth in Japan included its visa-free policy for Indonesians and Malaysians, an increased number of halal restaurants and prayer rooms, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
Tokyo is considered the best-prepared destination in the country for accommodating Muslim travelers, followed by Osaka and Hokkaido.
The MasterCard-CrescentRating's Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI), which was first introduced in 2015 as a benchmark for the Muslim travel market and covered up to 130 destinations, revealed that Asia was also the leading region in attracting Muslim travelers. Meanwhile, Africa ranked second in the GMTI, followed by Oceania, Europe and the United States. (kes)
