January-February . 2021 | @ Halal

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By ZUKARNINE SHAH Chief Operating Officer Halal International Selangor ( HIS )

try players with the relevant knowledge and skills , and help develop the tourism ecosystem that would support this niche tourist market .

We groomed our tour guides to understand Muslim tourists ’ needs to be better able to handle this market . We collaborated with mosque administrators to create specific guidelines that would be welcoming to both Muslim and non-Muslim visitors .

In 2020 , we successfully introduced the Muslim-friendly Accommodation Recognition ( MFAR ) programme , an extension of MOTAC ’ s hotel star rating system . It offers three categories of recognition , i . e . silver , gold and platinum MFAR .

ITC has issued MFAR recognition for more than 40 hotels in Malaysia , and we see that the interest among hoteliers is growing . Through the MFAR programme , we are helping hotels position themselves as a preferred choice for Muslim travellers from all over the world .

They have also begun leveraging this recognition to strengthen their marketing strategy and tap into the Muslim tourist market . This is a good sign for the industry , indicating their awareness for the potential of this market .

We ’ ve also seen significant interest in terms of research and development in the Islamic tourism sector . ITC has worked with and value academicians and researchers ’ contributions in exploring the potential growth areas in Islamic tourism .

Their research unearths the vast potentials in Muslim-friendly tourism and hospitality , sustainable destination management , products and services to cater to this niche market , and marketing and branding , to name a few .

The breadth of research ensures that the industry has good references to undertake development and policy formulation in Islamic tourism . During the pandemic , we ’ ve also seen the take-up rate for training increase .

We ’ ve conducted specialised training for tourist guides , equipping them with knowledge and information on the Muslim travel and tourism segment , particularly on Muslim visitors ’ needs and requirements .

ITC , as a registered training provider with the Human Resources Development Fund ( HRDF ), also conducts a series of courses based on Malaysia ’ s experiences and expertise in the area of Islamic tourism with international participants .

This indicates a strong interest among international destinations to learn about this market and develop it in their own countries . Overall , while we ’ ve seen tourism industry players struggle during this pandemic , we also see their diligent efforts to survive through this challenging time .

The focus is largely on surviving , recovery , connections , and sustainability , bearing in mind that the industry will rebound eventually -- and when that happens , industry players who are proactively preparing themselves for that future will win , Insyallah .

These are areas that ITC can offer through our range of services covering training and capacity building , standards and certification , and consultation on Islamic tourism development .

Our mission is to be an internationallyrecognised centre of excellence and reference in Islamic tourism and Muslim-friendly tourism and hospitality through strategic research , training , capacity building , standard and certification , and industry development , leveraging destination diversity , an inclusive ecosystem , and technology advancement .

THERE WERE great expectations that the Covid-19 pandemic would abate and thereby open up the markets , including halal . However , we have seen new Covid-19 strains and countries suffering from 2nd and 3rd waves . Given this scenario , what are the expectations ? After a year of going through the pandemic , it is only natural that expectations are high , but the reality is , it will take longer than that for things to return to pre-pandemic . While specific industry prospers , it will take some time for the rest of the sector to bounce back . Assuming the recovery starts somewhere in the second half of 2023 , the healing will also happen in a chain-effect manner . The halal industry is riding on the conventional industry . The business will be focussing on bouncing back and rebuilding , and I expect the halal industry will only gain momentum after this phase . i ) The Malaysian market ( taking into account the Emergency too ) With the halal-meat scandal and expected cut in spending to further develop the halal market , the industry is expected to stagnate . The existing halal food players may have the advantage to grow ( in volume ) during this period but growth here if any is set off by the lack of new players and new markets . ii ) The international market The international market will follow the above trend . Expected similar trends in halal player countries will dictate the global direction .

The Tokyo Olympics was postponed from last year to 2021 . Malaysian companies were expected to be players by participating in the provision of halal goods and services . Do you think it will happen ? Assuming all the Malaysian companies will remain as participants in the provision of halal goods and services in the Olympics , whenever that may be . How they benefit from this depends mainly on how the Olympics will be received by the world ( post-Covid-19 ). One thing for sure , pre-Covid-19 enthusiasm is unlikely to return .

The halal industry was the fastest-growing sector in the market pre-Covid-19 . What are now the predicted numbers and volumes for 2021 ? I am not sure it will remain the fasted-growing . I have no prediction numbers and volume if the choice is between up and down , I believe it will move south in 2021 .

What would be the size , share , trends , market demand , growth , and opportunities be ? Any prediction on size and share can only be guesstimated . Hence , I will refrain from giving . Demand and growth will naturally pick up later accordingly . There will be opportunities for players with resources and ability to change with speed to adapt to the new normal and altered consumer behaviour due to the pandemic .

It is back to the drawing board for your agency . What are the expected adjustments and reviews ? Revamp of current programmes and creation of new programmes considering the effect and changes brought about by the pandemic .

How do you reckon is halal tourism being re-shaped ? Halal tourism does not exist in isolation as such re-shaping of halal tourism depends mainly on how the tourism industry recovers from the pandemic and the actions taken to bring back the confidence to travel . People are looking forward to travelling but do they dare ? I think the re-shaping of the tourism industry depends immensely on the method and manner how the industry brings back the confidence to travel to the people .