As demand for Muslim-friendly travel continues to rise across the world, Macao is emerging as a destination worth putting on your radar. Beyond its iconic resorts and entertainment, the city has been steadily strengthening its offerings for Muslim travellers – creating new opportunities for advisors seeking fresh, inclusive options for their clients.

Just this year, Macao made its debut in the Global Muslim Travel Index 2025 by Mastercard and CrescentRating, ranking fifth among the non-OIC destinations for Muslim women travellers and 16th globally. It’s a promising start – and signals a destination proactively building the right infrastructure to welcome a wider spectrum of travellers.

Industry efforts meet real support

The past year has been a pivotal one for Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and its industry stakeholders. Bolstering its strides into Muslim-friendly tourism, MGTO actively promoted Muslim-friendly travel during its Macao Tourism + MICE Product Updates Seminar & Travel Mart in Jakarta and participated in Experience Macao Mega Sales in Indonesia and Malaysia – key source markets for Muslim travellers in Southeast Asia.

MGTO also introduced the Macao For Muslim Travellers: Halal Travel Guide earlier this year, a simple handbook published in different languages for visitors to navigate Macao confidently. 

Behind the scenes, MGTO is working with Hong Kong’s Islamic associations to develop three certification schemes – halal restaurants, halal-kitchen restaurants, and halal-friendly restaurants – to help local stakeholders welcome Muslim guests. 

Meanwhile, hoteliers and front-line staff are also getting familiar with Muslim guest needs through targeted training, while the introduction of a dedicated prayer room at Macao International Airport reaffirms the city’s welcome for Muslims guests.

The Muslim prayer room at MIA on the ground floor of the departure airside at south extension of Passenger Terminal Building (PTB). Photo Credit: Macau International Airport.

Flavours with faith in mind

Halal food is often the topmost concern for Muslim travellers, and Macao is steadily expanding its certified offerings.  

The halal-certified Zam Zam Restaurant at Regency Hotel brings Middle Eastern and Indian flair to Macao, from tabbouleh salads to lamb shank masala with briyani. For a taste of Chinese flavours, the flavourful hotpot and meat skewers at Dong Lai Shun – located at Rua Cidade de Coimbra – will surprise guests without compromising on halal requirements. Both restaurants can arrange prayer spaces for bigger groups upon request.

Taste halal Chinese delights like Beijing roasted duck and lamb at North Palace, which is equipped with a halal-certified kitchen. Photo Credit: The Londoner

Meanwhile, North Palace at The Londoner is the latest addition to watch. Its fully halal-certified kitchen, complete with an open fire pit and rotisserie grills, churns out Northern Chinese classics like Beijing duck, Xinjiang flatbreads and Inner Mongolian lamb.

For travellers keen to bag local goodies home, recommend MinM Plaza in the heart of Macao’s UNESCO-listed historic centre. Here, the shop offers a gamut of products designed or made in Macao, including a dedicated halal souvenir corner loaded with Muslim-friendly snacks. Halal-certified products can also be found at the Macao International Airport: Pastelaria Yeng Kee (mezzanine floor, Departure Airside) and Lusocasa (ground floor, Departure Airside South Extension).

Find egg rolls, sesame cookies and more food souvenirs at this halal corner ay MinM Plaza in Senado Square. Photo Credit: Anis Ramli

Honouring a healing culture

Home to a wide array of integrated resorts and hotels, wellness experiences in Macao are also becoming more inclusive. Guests eager to experience the healing culture of traditional Chinese medicine can visit The Ritz-Carlton Macau where there are separate facilities for women and men to enjoy such treatments as hot stone massages and acupressure. 

Over at The Venetian’s V SPA, traditional Chinese reflexology and massage treatments take centre stage. There’s a dedicated relaxation lounge and pre-treatment scrub room with separate spaces for male and female guests to ensure comfort and ease at every level.

There are couple rooms and separate facilities to ensure comfort and privacy at The Ritz-Carlton Spa. Photo Credit: The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Macau

Culture that connects

Away from the bustling streets by day or bright lights by night, families will also find plenty of wholesome activities to do together in Macao. Case in point: the Azulejo tile workshop at Yun Yue Handmade Studio. This iconic blue-and-white tile that are found on street signs, churches and building walls in Macao traces its origins to the Moors that shaped Andalusia in the 8th century before the Portuguese made it their own.

Sea Odyssey, MGM Cotai’s daily free drone show, lights up the sky with sea creatures and storytelling that kids and adults can equally enjoy at the Spectacle, the airy atrium. Elsewhere in the city, the Macao Grand Prix Museum is a great way for families and friends to spend the afternoon. Get a peek into life-size control rooms, pit garages and the chance to experience the G-force a driver feels during acceleration.

Paint a Macanese Portuguese tile and leave with a one-of-a-kind piece of Macao’s heritage. Photo Credit: Yun Yue Handmade Studio.

Craft a welcoming Macao experience

With more halal-certified dining, enhanced facilities, and growing cultural offerings, Macao is becoming an attractive option for Muslim travellers seeking comfort, variety, and authenticity. For a full list of Muslim-friendly dining, prayer spaces and experiences, visit MGTO’s official Muslim-friendly travel site.

This article is brought to you by Macao Government Tourism Office