Malaysia’s diverse, multicultural population allows its people to create amazing products and events to attract a broader tourist market.
With a significant Muslim population and the availability of halal food and mosques, Malaysia is also an ideal destination for Muslim tourists.
However, it is essential not to take these advantages for granted. Instead, tourists should be provided with high assurance and benchmarking standards that ensure credibility, quality, and value.
“This is where the Islamic Tourism Centre’s (ITC) role is valuable. ITC’s focus has always been to strengthen the Islamic tourism ecosystem in Malaysia. That encompasses research, training, standards development, and certification,” said deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture minister, Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan.
“We work closely with ITC to facilitate their efforts in expanding Islamic tourism opportunities sector-wide. Currently, our licenced tourist guides are encouraged to go for the ITC Muslim-Friendly Tourist Guide (MFTG) training course, and we also encourage all our registered accommodation operators to go for the Muslim-friendly certification with ITC.”
The ministry, through ITC, plans to extend the Muslim-friendly concept to other tourism-related enterprises such as spas, medical and wellness centres, theme parks, shopping malls, and other tourism-related businesses.
This is to broaden the scope of possibilities for businesses and entrepreneurs of all levels, allowing them to benefit from the lucrative Islamic tourism industry.
“The ministry will continue to support ITC in these roles, primarily through close collaboration with our agencies, such as Tourism Malaysia. ITC must work with Tourism Malaysia to achieve the directions and goals, soon.
“The Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau also has the opportunity to position Malaysia as a Muslim-friendly business events destination, attracting more Muslim business travellers and conferences related to the Islamic world.
“Our ministry is committed to supporting the expansion of the Islamic tourism space in Malaysia through the ITC,” Firdaus added. – Rest&Rehlah (@Halal)
