06 | JULY-AUGUST 2022
BY FATIHAH MANAF
THE Muslim consumer market has shown steady growth and is becoming more influential in the past decade . In 2019 , the number of international Muslim travellers recorded an all-time high of an estimated 160 million , which is about 10.6 per cent of 1.5 billion international tourist arrivals that same year .
According to Nur Alyssa Coraline Yussin , Director of Research and Training of Islamic Tourism Centre ( ITC ), even though the numbers decreased in 2020 and 2021 , postpandemic predictions are seeing the numbers increase to 230 million with an estimated expenditure of US $ 226 billion in 2028 .
“ In 2019 , Malaysia received an estimated 5.3 million Muslim tourists , contributing RM16.72 billion ( US $ 3.8 billion ) to our total tourist receipts . While post-pandemic arrival figures are yet to be seen , we expect these travellers to return gradually , seeking Muslim-friendly experiences from our tourism industry service providers . For 2022 , we estimate about 900,000 Muslim tourist arrivals by the end of the year .”
She believes the global Muslim tourist market is a vast marketplace for tourism industry players to participate . After two years of isolation , these Muslim travellers are now gradually travelling again . They are ready to explore the world , engage with people , and try new experiences while remaining true to their faith .
“ As a Muslim-majority nation with an existing Islamic Tourism ecosystem and a diversity of tourist attractions , Malaysia is in an advantageous position to provide these meaningful travelling experiences to Muslim tourists while helping them satisfy their faith-based needs .”
CATERING TO CHANGED BEHAVIOURS AND EXPECTATIONS
Alyssa noted that the recent pandemic had altered the patterns of Muslim tourists ’ expectations and behaviour . These Muslim tourists now seek intangible values they can bring home from their travels .
“ They want experiences they can later reflect on , like engaging with local communities through social activities ,” she elaborated .
To cater to these changing patterns of expectations and behaviour , she said tourism players can prepare themselves by attending training and equipping themselves with knowledge . This preparation not only benefits players economically as they study the current and future needs of the market , but it also makes them culturally and spiritually richer . Thus , making them better hosts to Muslim travellers .
ITC , as an entity responsible for developing Islamic Tourism , regularly organises awareness and upskill conferences , seminars
Enriched tourism experience
Tourism players need to adapt to the altered patterns of Muslim tourists ’ expectations and behaviour post-pandemic
Nur Alyssa Coraline Yussin
and training on Islamic Tourism to support industry players and stakeholders .
“ Our training and knowledge-sharing engagements are where great minds from the Islamic Tourism field - practitioners , policymakers and academia - are gathered and share their thoughts and inputs on the Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality ( MFTH ) sector .
“ Apart from standalone programmes , ITC also works with local and international organisations from higher learning institutions such as Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia ( USIM ) to OIC ’ s subsidiary organ , the Statistical , Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries ( SESRIC ) to come up with intellectual content and research to make sure our capacity-building programmes meet the needs of the industry .”
ITC ’ S TRAINING PROGRAMMES FOR INDUSTRY PLAYERS
ITC conducts training and provides consulting services globally . Its training programmes are for Malaysians and overseas clients , whether Muslims or non-Muslims .
Islamic Tourism Centre ( ITC ) organised a CPR training course for Penang ’ s tourist guides .
Recently , the centre concluded an online training course , the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme ( MTCP ), on Strategies in Developing and Managing Sustainable Muslim-Friendly Destinations and Products . Funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , Malaysia , ITC acted as the coordinator to train the Government officials from Cambodia , Kiribati , Togo and Vietnam working in the tourism industry .
“ Simultaneously , a three-day training with SESRIC , Strengthening Institutional Capacities in the Field of Halal Tourism Industry to Improve the Competitiveness of Tourism Destinations , was also conducted for industry players from 17 OIC member countries , including Malaysia .”
Alyssa shared that ITC developed a training programme to certify MOTAClicensed tour guides as Muslim-Friendly Tourist Guides ( MFTG ). The training programme exposed these tour guides to Islam , Muslim ’ s faith-based needs , the importance of halal , and the concept of hospitality from the Islamic point of view .
“ At the moment , there are 92 MFTGs around Malaysia , and more are going to be certified within the next quarters . As a continuation , we also work with various parties in preparing refresher course modules for MFTG covering various topics and skills , such as the Muslim-Friendly Tourist Guide ( MFTG ) Refresher Course on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ( CPR ) and Automated External Defibrillator . This training provides basic life support skills to existing MFTGs , which is convenient in case of emergency .”
EXPLORING NEW ISLAMIC TOURISM PRODUCTS AND IDEAS
Alyssa said ITC had an exciting line of capacity-building programmes planned for the year . The centre is preparing for two more MTCP programmes to be completed before the year-end . It is also recruiting new MFTGs and holding workshops to develop Muslim-Friendly guidelines for new tourism products that appeal to Muslim tourists .
“ We are keen to explore new ideas in sustainability , technology , cryptocurrency and NFTs , women travellers , Gen Z travellers and leadership to see how they are shaping the future of Islamic Tourism . We are interested in these areas , and our training programmes are the platforms where we share this knowledge and research outcomes with our stakeholders .
“ Moving forward , I hope we can further strengthen the capabilities and increase the competitiveness of our industry players through the various efforts , be it in the form of training , research or even product and destination development , that ITC has and will carry out over the years .
“ We know there ’ s a lot more to explore , and I ’ m very excited to see how this segment develops in the coming years . A lot of work still needs to be done , and I consider that a challenge and our aspiration at ITC to continue working hard and make Malaysia the favourite destination .” — R & R