Taiwan is ranked second on a list of attractive destinations for Muslim travelers, the Global Muslim Travel Index showed on Wednesday.
Taiwan and the UK were tied for second on the list of non-Organization of Islamic Cooperation destinations for Muslims, scoring 57, trailing only Singapore’s 69.
Thailand (55), Hong Kong (54), South Africa (51) and Japan (48) were fourth to seventh, while France, Germany, the Philippines and the US shared eighth with scores of 46.
Overall, Taiwan ranked 25th among 140 destinations, with Malaysia on top with a score of 80, followed by Turkey (77) and Saudi Arabia (76).
“In some destinations such as Taiwan, the number of halal-certified restaurants has tripled during the last five to six years,” the report said.
The overall score is based on 13 criteria, among which Taiwan received 100 points for its lack of faith restrictions and 99 points for safety, the report said.
Taiwan scored 71 for destination marketing, sharing top spot with Malaysia, and 50 points for prayer areas, an increase of 26 points from its previous rating, the Tourism Bureau said in a statement.
Overall, Taiwan’s ranking this year was the highest since the index was launched in 2015 by Mastercard and CrescentRating, the bureau said.
The government has been creating a Muslim-friendly environment to tap into a 1.9 billion-person travel market, adding Muslim-friendly facilities and encouraging the hotel and food industries to apply for halal certification, the bureau said.
Its efforts have provided convenience for the 280,000 Muslims living in Taiwan, most of them migrant workers from Southeast Asia, the bureau said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS