July-August. 2025 | @ Halal

COVER STORY

The Islamic Tourism Centre( ITC) has become the unseen architect of Malaysia’ s rise as a global leader in Muslim-friendly travel.

Nur Alyssa

While other destinations struggle to retrofit services for Muslim tourists, Malaysia has built a model that scales, certifies, and educates- all from the ground up.

From designing the Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition( MFAR) programme to training thousands of industry players, ITC has worked quietly but methodically. Its approach isn’ t about slogans- it’ s about systems.

“ What ITC has done post- Covid is remarkable,” says Reem El Shafaki of DinarStandard.

“ They’ ve gone beyond infrastructure and built trust, capacity, and alignment.”

Perhaps most critically, ITC understands that halal tourism is not a niche- it’ s a lens through which everything, from hospitality to branding, must be viewed. Its partnerships span:

Halal Food:

US $ 1.43 trillion( 2023), projected to reach

US $ 1.94 trillion by 2028,

CAGR 6.2 per cent.

Islamic Finance:

US $ 4.93 trillion( 2023), projected to reach

US $ 7.53 trillion by 2028,

CAGR 8.9 per cent.

Muslim-Friendly Travel:

US $ 216.94 billion( 2023), projected to reach

US $ 384.12 billion by 2028,

CAGR 12.1 per cent.

Halal Pharmaceuticals:

US $ 107.1 billion( 2023), projected to reach

US $ 148.88 billion by 2028,

CAGR 6.8 per cent.

Halal Cosmetics:

US $ 86.66 billion( 2023), projected to reach

US $ 117.81 billion by 2028,

CAGR 6.3 per cent.

Modest Fashion:

US $ 327 billion( 2023), projected to reach

US $ 433 billion by 2028,

CAGR 5.8 per cent.

• These figures reflect not only the resilience of halal industries globally but also the potential for Malaysia to capture a larger share by scaling halal exports and expanding its digital halal ecosystem.

• Hotel chains

• Local SMEs

• Religious authorities

• Global halal certifiers

In doing so, ITC has created a holistic ecosystem- where certification meets storytelling, and compliance meets commerce.

As other nations court Muslim tourists, Malaysia, with ITC at the helm, is already designing what comes next.

In another meaningful milestone, for the 10th year, Malaysia was named the top Muslim-friendly destination( OIC) in the Global Muslim Travel Index( GMTI) by CrescentRating and Mastercard.

“ For over a decade, Malaysia has been recognised through the collective efforts of our industry and authorities,” said ITC Acting Director-General Nur Alyssa Coraline Yussin.

“ Our mosques remain among Malaysia’ s most cherished des-

tinations. Their architecture, stories and presence continue to inspire admiration and peace.

“ At ITC, we value their role in tourism and remain committed to elevating them as places of encounter and learning. This year, we are organising the Mosque Tourism Roundtable( MTRT) in Kelantan – a State known for its rich traditions and majestic mosques.”-