18
Industry Talk
@Halal | may-june. 2020
By Azmi ABd Aziz
Technical Assoc Director, Global Haltech
islamic tourism strictly
follows islamic values. it is
a new ethical dimension of
tourism which attempts
to include the aspect of
ethics.
Matter
of choice
Muslim tourists can decide on halal-concept hotels
and halal food in Malaysia
Choice of Hotels in
Malaysia is influenced
by halal food which
is meeting halal
standards, Food Safety
and Quality standards. More
religious Muslims ensure there
is halal food available for them to
consume during their stay.
Malaysia, through the efforts
of government agencies and
industry, has positioned itself
among the leading countries
considered as Muslim-friendly
destinations. Malaysia developed
halal tourism as a promising niche to
attract more Muslim tourists to the country.
Due to the variety of islamic offerings, it
emerged as the right country for tourists
who care about islamic values not only as
a practice in their daily lives but also as
they travel. it has a rich islamic heritage as
well as halal food, Muslim-friendly people
and wide islamic environment, which
provides Muslim tourists with good islamic
experiences.
islam is the official religion in Malaysia,
but other faiths are allowed to be practiced.
Temples, mosques and churches are often
in the same area, which shows high understanding
and respect among Malaysian
citizens. Over 60 per cent of Malaysians are
Muslims, followed by Buddhists (19 per cent),
Christians (9 per cent), Hindus (6 per cent),
and Confucians (6 per cent).
Malaysia supports multiculturalism
through celebrations such as Eid-ul Fitr
(Hari Raya aidilifitri) for Muslims, Chinese
New year, Christmas and Deepavali.
The asean Travel and Tourism competitiveness
Report (2012) listed Malaysia
among the top 10 countries, where 25
million tourists visited Malaysia in 2011.
according to Dogan (2010), islamic Tourism
is an activity by Muslims for relaxation and
entertainment in hospitality organisations
to attract Muslims to a particular destination
by applying islamic principles. islamic
tourism strictly follows islamic values. it is
a new ethical dimension of tourism which
attempts to include the aspect of ethics.
What attracts MusliM
tourists to Malaysia?
Firstly, it is the availability and easy access
to a wide variety of halal food (including
fast food outlets) which are certified by
JaKiM, complying with Ms1500:2009 Halal
Food – Production, Preparation, Handling
and storage – General Guidelines. For shariacompliant
Hotels in Malaysia, Ms1900:2014
– Quality Management system requirements
from the islamic Perspective and
Ms2619:2015 Muslim Friendly Hospitality
services - Requirements are practiced. Other
quality systems/standards for product/
services such as Good Manufacturing Practice
(GMP)/Hazard action Critical Control
Point (HaCCP)/Good Hygiene Practices
(GHP) /”MakananselamatTanggungjawabindustri”
(MesTi) etc. are also part of
halal compliance. This is considered one of
the most important factors that influence
Muslim tourists to choose a particular destination
in Malaysia, and it directly associates
with satisfaction. it is compulsory for more
religious Muslims tourists which affects
their level of comfort.
Choice of Hotels in Malaysia is influenced
by halal food which meets the halal standards,
Food safety and Quality standards.
More religious Muslims ensure there is halal
food available for them to consume during
their stay.
The service quality provided by the hotels