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@Halal | november-december. 2019
Review
By Hasniza Ramli
Chief Executive Officer, Global Haltech
How Halal tourism
molds
the global tourism industry
Muslim-friendly platforms are blooming with
Muslim tourists expected to spend about
USD230 billion by year 2025 and make it the
fast-growing halal tourism category
H
alal or Islamic tourism is a
lucrative sector that is still
largely untapped.
Halal tourism is a leading
and fastest-growing segment
of the global travel industry,
with Muslim tourists seeking destinations
which meet their needs of diet, dress or
rituals.
In accordance with that, hotels, resorts
and tour companies are also aggressively
trying to enhance their services to meet
their dietary and religious needs.
Adapting to the needs
of Muslim travelers
Many countries, whether Muslim or other-
wise, are looking to attract these travelers.
The leading Muslim destinations are Malay-
sia, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and
Turkey.
Halal Travel
Total Travel
Market Spending
Meanwhile Singapore, Thailand and the
United Kingdom are among the top non-
Islamic or non-OIC (Organization of the
Islamic Conference) destinations.
Thailand has proven to be a popular
destination for Muslims, mainly from
Indonesia, looking for affordable vacations
and Thai food, even it is well-known as a
predominantly Buddhist country. Among
European countries, the UK is leading and
Muslim spending is estimated to reach
USD5 billion by 2025.
Meanwhile, in recent surveys conducted
by Singapore’s Crescent Rating and the
United States’ Dinar Standard, Malaysia has
been chosen as the world’s top destination
for Muslim travelers for three consecutive
years.
The Report also showed that halal tour-
ism represented 11.6 per cent of global
tourism expenditure and was estimated
to be worth USD230 billion by 2025, as the
number of Muslim tourists has grown to
160 million from 121 million in 2018. The
country attracted 5.3 million Muslim tour-
ists out of a total 26 million tourist arrivals
this year.
The reasons why Malaysia became a
favourite choice of Muslim travellers are
due to the abundance of halal food, prayer
facilities and Islamic attractions, which
perfectly cater to their basic needs. There
is no end to the variety of halal products
and services that can be found in Malaysia,
from halal food to Islamic banking. Malay-
sia provides end-to-end halal goods with
universal appeal.
Malaysia’s rich Islamic history
and heritage also form layers of
fascinating experiences just waiting to be
discovered. This, coupled with a conducive
environment and government-backed poli-
cies and initiatives, strengthens Malaysia’s
position as the nucleus of the global halal
industry.
Malaysia is not the only country trying to
tap into this lucrative market, as countries
such as Japan and South Korea were also
ramping up their offerings for Muslim
tourists.
Muslim friendly
hotel recognition
Looking at the potential of this growing
sector, it’s important for the hospitality
industry to adapt to the changing of halal
requirements to meet the needs of Muslim
tourists. Hotels and restaurants should offer
halal food at the very least.
M a l ay s i a h a s i nt r o d u c e d t h e
“Muslim-Friendly Hotel Recognition”
initiative, a form of accreditation which
recognises shariah-compliant accommoda-
tion for tourists. The implementation of the
“Muslim Friendly Hotel Recognition” is an
important initiative to empower the tour-
ism industry, especially the Islamic tourism
segment to begin developing the industry
towards its next phase.
Among the criteria to fulfil the stan-
dards include proximity to mosques and
other Islamic attractions, in-room prayer
facilities such as praying mats and qiblat
direction signs, halal-certified restaurants,
segregated gyms and swimming pools for
women.
Other than hotels, many airports are
also now offering halal food and prayer
rooms, but some still lack wash or ablution
facilities.
The MS2610:2015 Muslim Friendly Hospi-
tality is Malaysia’s first standard intended
for the tourism industry, that caters to
Muslim travel-savvy needs. This standard
guides organisations in managing tourism
facilities, products and services.
Despite the word ‘Islamic’ used in this
phrase, it is important to note that Islamic
tourism is not exclusive to Muslims. Due to
its universal nature, Islamic tourism can
also be enjoyed by the non-Muslims. SIRIM
QAS International offers this standard to