04 | JULY-AUGUST 2022
Returning to the key players
We have done the groundwork for the last 13 years , but now it will be a different ballgame . Our voice will be more assertive in highlighting the essential bits and pieces of how the industry should react and respond to various new challenges .” — Dato ’ Dr Mohmed Razip
“ Due to this , we at ITC would need to tackle the differences and simultaneously continue to convince industry players and stakeholders on the importance of Islamic tourism while putting the national interest as our main objective ,” said Mohmed Razip in an interview .
According to him , ITC , formed 13 years ago , has proven to be as good as any other agency under various ministries .
“ We have done the groundwork for the last 13 years , but now it will be a different ballgame . Our voice will be more assertive in highlighting the essential bits and pieces of how the industry should react and respond to various new challenges .
“ Right now , we have a good bearing on our position in the marketplace , and due to that , we cannot just have ITC remain as ITC . We ’ re going to aim to be a new ITC with different branding . Right now , we can already see the difference ,” he said .
TRUST AND CONFIDENCE CRUCIAL
In its effort to strive for these changes , ITC will focus on pushing Malaysia ’ s spot in Islamic tourism globally .
“ Currently , Malaysia is the leading Islamic tourism destination for OIC ( Organisation of Islamic Cooperation ) countries , but Singapore , a non-OIC member , is the ultimate destination for Muslim-friendly tourism .
“ This is the challenge that I have put forward to my team . How would we fare if both countries ( Malaysia and Singapore ) were ranked side by side without OIC membership ?
AS one of the leaders in Islamic tourism , the Islamic Tourism Centre ( ITC ) is taking a different approach in its pursuit to promote and maintain Malaysia ’ s performance in the industry .
“ To achieve what we want for the industry , we must return to the key players . They do the packaging , selling , and marketing while we do the big push .
“ Telling them this is the right market to invest into in terms of hard work and time , and they have tried to reduce the gap with conventional tourism .
“ We also want to challenge them to come up with better products and services because the Muslim market at this point can be considered as a sophisticated market because you are not dealing with the ordinary market segment but across the board ,” said ITC Director-General Dato ’ Dr Mohmed Razip .
He added that Muslim travellers ’ spending patterns had improved significantly . Hence , the expectations towards tourism suppliers will differ from what they are getting now and before .
“ They look for quality services and have money to spend , especially post-Covid . People are giving more attention to standards , quality , safety and security .
“ So these are the challenges that the marketplace has to respond to accordingly , and it has to be delivered professionally , efficiently , and effectively .
“ Therefore , it is crucial for ITC to inform them through various platforms so that they understand these challenges . In our case , we want them to think beyond infrastructure . Usually , when discussing tourism , the conversation revolves around structures such as hotels , places of interest and attractions .
DEMAND FOR TOURIST GUIDES
“ But what we are doing now is to share with industry players to visualise how they can transform and transfer quality to the results and to make holidays more than just material gains . It is also a spiritual experience where
“ We have to look at things this way because right now we are comfortable because we are the OIC ’ s best . But in reality , apart from Singapore , there are many other non-OIC countries such as Spain , Portugal , Australia , Taiwan and Hong Kong which are big on tourism and are looking at tapping into the Islamic tourism market ,” explained Mohmed Razip .
The critical point that ITC is trying to push is to tell Malaysia ’ s industry players not to ignore the Islamic tourism market due to its vast potential . With travellers from all over the world , especially from countries with travellers are rejuvenated in mind , body and soul ,” Mohmed Razip elaborated .
Touching on the demand for workforce amid rapid post-pandemic growth in the tourism industry , he said there was a need to look inwards for solutions to strengthen Malaysia ’ s tourism workforce and give our people more opportunities to develop .
“ In Islamic tourism , the ministries and agencies involved collaborate with institutions to ensure that efficient training opportunities are made available to groom our youths into tourism and enlighten them about their career paths in tourism .
“ ITC collaborated with colleges and universities to develop management or skillbased programmes to give opportunities to locals , especially youths . It is to expand their vision to understand how rewarding and attractive this industry is .”
Mohmed Razip also highlighted the rise in demand for tourist guides , considered a dying profession .
“ On the contrary , the demand for professional guides is high . Tourists love having better contact and better stories in their travels . It is a storytelling business where travellers want better engagement and knowing the right facts ,” he said .
Due to this encouraging demand , ITC has introduced Muslim-friendly tourist guide courses .
“ Now we have more than 60 guides certified as Muslim-friendly tourist guides . It is important because there have been more and more Muslim travellers coming to Malaysia , either in big or small groups or individuals . They want to be guided and know the real stories delivered in style and passion .
“ So , we ’ re going to have more courses , especially in the central region like Selangor and Perak ,” Mohmed Razip said .
improved GDP ( gross domestic product ) growth , the market scenario is different from what it used to be .
“ Our job now is to retain the position and improve it . It is a big job because a lot of energy and resources are needed . Trust and confidence from the industry players are also crucial in this process .
“ For instance , what we offer is no different from Indonesia and Singapore . So , we have to learn to fully appreciate and utilise the Global Muslim Travel Index ( GMTI ) for our local businesses ,” Mohmed Razip said , stressing that ITC is serious about expanding and