Taipei: Taipei has been named the 2025 Muslim Women-friendly City Destination of the Year by CrescentRating at its 2025 Halal in Travel Awards held Thursday in Singapore. Shen Yung-hua, secretary-general of the Taipei City Government’s Department of Information and Tourism, traveled to Singapore to accept the award on behalf of the city government, the department said.

According to Focus Taiwan, CrescentRating, which describes itself as “the world’s leading authority on halal-friendly travel,” also announced that Taiwan ranked fourth in the 2025 Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) among destinations that are not members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). This ranking reflects the city’s efforts to create a diverse, inclusive, and safe environment for Muslim travelers.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an highlighted that the award represents international recognition of the Muslim-friendly efforts of Taiwan’s capital city. This follows its earlier recognition in 2023 as the Most Promising Muslim-friendly City Destination of the Year (non-OIC). Chiang reiterated Taipei’s commitment to being a “diverse and inclusive city.”

Yu Hsiang, head of the city’s Department of Information and Tourism, noted that Taipei has promoted a “Muslim-friendly Attractions and Accommodations Guidance Program” since 2019. This initiative has assisted nearly 100 locations and accommodations in receiving certification. Additionally, the department runs a Halal Travel Guide section on its website, offering information in Indonesian and other languages.

The department also plans to lead tourism industry representatives to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore in late July to further promote Taipei tourism.