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@ Halal | January-February . 2021

industry was not spared the lashing from the Covid-19 pandemic .

Businesses suffered , and while halal was recognised possibly the fastest-growing model in that sector , it too faced constraints .

The Tokyo Olympics which was supposed to have been staged last year is a case in point .

Malaysian halal players were set to reap the benefits , but the Games was postponed to this year . While the organisers have stated that “ the show will go on ”, there is still much apprehension .

Even if it does take place , number of countries will be drastically reduced , and in tandem , the total number of athletes , officials and spectators .

Malaysia epitomises the classic halal destination . However , needless to say , that industry has suffered , along with its stable- mates such as hotels , F & B . Recently , it was announced that even Malaysia ’ s national zoo may have to bring down the shutters by April . That was a favourite tourist destination .

Two major Malaysian halal players share their views on the expected halal trends , but with the caveat that it would all depend on the pandemic .

Halal International Selangor ( HIS ) Chief Operating Officer Zulkarnine Shah was pragmatic when he said recovery could start in the third quarter of 2021 .

“ The recovery will happen in a chain-effect manner ,” said Zulkarnine .

“ People are looking forward to travel but do they dare ?”

The Director General of the Islamic Tourism Centre ( ITC ) Dato ' Dr . Mohmed Razip Hasan believed travel-ready destinations will bounce back faster than others post-Covid-19 .

“ The Muslim tourist market with a global population of 1.8 billion and inclination for an extended stay and high-value consumption is an untapped market with huge potentials once the world travels again ,” said Razip .

Zukarnine and Razip shared with @ Halal their hopes and expectations for 2021 .

The key to tourism and economic rebound may be in this niche market itself . Cleanliness and hygiene , safety and security will be top among travellers ’ priorities . ”

By Dato ' Dr . Mohmed Razip Hasan Director General , Islamic Tourism Centre ( ITC )

Covid-19 has disrupted the global economy . The tourism industry in many destinations has been impacted due to low travel confidence and border closures .

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation has indicated it may take between 30-48 months for travel to return to 2019 levels .

Meanwhile , Crescentrating ’ s analysis indicates ASEAN may see travel recovery between 2021 and 2022 . Nonetheless , healing is subject to how an individual destination strategises its recovery and promotion campaign and the readiness to travel by international tourists .

While a Covid-19 cure is a key factor in increasing travel confidence , I believe that travel-ready destinations will bounce back faster than others post-Covid 19 .

It ’ s essential to grasp this perspective so that destinations will be compelled to seize the opportunities now during this apparent downtime and reap the benefits later once travel re-opens .

Thus , while addressing the pandemic ’ s impact on the industry , destination managers and tourism industry players need to plan well ahead and have a ready-made mechanism in place ready to launch .

In other words , Destination Management Organisations ( DMOs ) and National Tourism Organisations ( NTOs ) must be in a state of readiness to act . The Muslim tourist market with a global population of 1.8 billion and inclination for an extended stay and highvalue consumption is an untapped market with huge potentials once the world travels again .

Given this , Islamic Tourism Centre ( ITC ) is ready to support industry players to increase their knowledge about this market and prepare them to benefit from this market ’ s potential , especially post-Covid .

It is expected that once borders open , there will likely be pent-up demand for travel , and the Muslim tourist market is one market that industry players should be mindful of . DMOs worldwide need to consider this market segment when formulating their future strategies now .

The key to tourism and economic rebound may be in this niche market itself . Cleanliness and hygiene , safety and security will be top among travellers ’ priorities .

There will also likely be demand for sustainable and restorative travel , all of which are addressed by the foundations of Islamic tourism and Muslim-friendly tourism and hospitality services .

Malaysia has recognised this market ’ s potential as far back as 2009 with the establishment of the ITC under the Ministry of Tourism , Arts and Culture ( MOTAC ).

Since then , we have focused on research , training and capacity building , and certification of Muslim-friendly tourism and hospitality services to equip tourism indus-