BY CAMILIA REZALI

The Muslim travel market is an example of a potential blooming market for Malaysia . Comprehending the opportunity , the Islamic Tourism Centre ( ITC ) introduced the Muslim-friendly Accommodation Recognition ( MFAR ).

Aiming to provide opportunities to set the standards and further tap into the Muslim and non-Muslim markets , MFAR is genuinely a brilliant initiative ! This was also acknowledged by the General Manager of DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang , Karim Schadlou .

He said “ I come from Germany and applaud the ongoing efforts by the Malaysian Government to curb the pandemic . We are all in this together .”

“ And frankly , when I came to Malaysia , I had not heard of the Muslim-Friendly Accommodation Recognition ( MFAR ). When we came to know about it , we became very interested in it . That is when we decided to partner with ITC and MFAR .”

He was impressed by how Malaysians were able to re-travel within the country again . Therefore , there was no doubt the Islamic tourism market would regain its position in the market as Malaysians were re-travelling and supporting the market .

Karim Schadlou , General Manager of DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang .

countries were required to grow the Muslim travel market long-term .

In the short-term , what the Muslim travel industry needs is just inter-State travel , said Karim .

“ The government must start with initiatives at a State level , and later on , we move to the national level .”

But above all , being positive throughout these trying times is equally essential , advised Karim , who has 30 years in hospitality .

Karim began his career with Hilton Worldwide in 2000 . He held several positions across Southeast Asia , Europe , China and the Middle East .

Before joining Hilton Colombo Residences , Karim was the Resort Manager at Conrad Rangali Maldives . Before that , he was Director of Operations for several properties , including Hilton Colombo , Hilton Singapore , Hilton Iru Fushi Maldives , and Waldorf Astoria Maldives .

DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang

Doubletree Resort by Hilton Penang is the country ’ s first DoubleTree Resort . The fourstar hotel received silver-rated recognition for its Muslim-friendly facilities and accommodation by ITC .

According to Karim , the resort opened in January 2018 . The Malaysian Islamic tour-

This is the part where the government needs to focus on driving tourism from abroad in stages - first from neighbouring countries , then from Middle Eastern countries and later from Europe .”

ism market has always been important for Penang as well as for Doubletree Resort .

Before the pandemic , at least 50 per cent of Doubletree ’ s business came from local tourists . Having Penang as a dominant destination , the Muslim travel market was vital because of the opportunities there .

For Doubletree Resort itself , Karim said : “ We must have job security . This is key . Though tourist destinations were closed in Penang and people were under a lockdown , we never gave up . We will run at whatever the costs .

So far , we have been quite successful with our initiatives . We have customised experiences and activities for families and children , which has rewarded us very well .

Restoring Malaysia ’ s Muslim travel market

Concerning the availability of Muslimfriendly accommodation and facilities to cater to the expected demand from tourists after the pandemic , Karim said the facilities were available . But what was lacking from the whole Muslim travel industry was “ awareness ”.

“ PR campaigns have to be driven more to create awareness ,” he suggested .

Referring to local campaigns such as ‘ Visit Malaysia ’, Karim said : “ Malaysia really needs to revamp these programmes .

“ This is the part where the government needs to focus on driving tourism from abroad in stages - first from neighbouring countries , then from Middle Eastern countries and later from Europe .”

Additionally , solid collaborative programmes between Malaysia and other