SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 | 03
Power of the Muslim tourist market
Industry players must be more innovative and competitive in developing and promoting their products and services to tap the Muslim market
BY AYU MUSA KAMAL
THERE was a time years ago when a Muslim traveller would find it excruciatingly difficult to find halal meals . During those years , seasoned Muslim travellers often resorted to anything most convenient and practical for their journeys .
Now , the older generation would regale their younger counterparts who are on their way to similar journeys with colourful and delightfully told stories about such adventures , which may now seem somewhat alien considering how changed the world is .
The Muslim Friendly Tourism and Hospitality ( MFTH ) concept was considerably unknown before , despite the sizable Muslim population globally . Most were not exposed to the idea of shariah compliance and the importance it carries for a Muslim .
Thanks to globalisation and exposure and the worldwide promotion of Muslim-friendly tourism from various organisations , the industry is no longer an obscure concept . Industry players and tourists are not just up to date with its presence , but some are also adept with the concept and are slowly cosying up to the idea of Muslim-friendly tourism .
One of the countries that had played a significant role in promoting and continuously championing MFTH is Malaysia . Hence , it is not surprising to see how Malaysia is now at the helm of MFTH and is constantly improving its role .
GREAT POTENTIAL GLOBALLY
According to Islamic Tourism Centre ( ITC ) Director-General Dato ’ Dr Mohmed Razip Hasan , the long-term aspirations for Malaysia ’ s MFTH industry are the many reasons to strengthen and improve it since there is a growing number of Muslim middle class and those in the affluent income group .
“ In Malaysia ’ s context , it is my call to all tourism stakeholders to realise and understand the power of the Muslim tourist market as consumers of tourism products and services .
I am inspired and believe in MFTH ’ s great potential globally and specifically for Malaysia . With this , in return , we will , InshaAllah , see more products , services and facilities aligned to this market ,” he said .
Mohmed Razip explained that steady development for MFTH will support the socio-economic growth and expansion in other areas of interest , such as healthcare covering medical and wellness , ecotourism , education and training , entrepreneurship and much more .
“ Here , we can see that the opportunities are not only there for the tourism industry players but also for higher learning institutions and corporate entities to collaborate with tourism and hospitality players to create a balanced , more resilient , and sustainable economy .
“ Here , we can see that the opportunities are not only there for the tourism industry players but also for higher learning institutions and corporate entities to collaborate with tourism and hospitality players to create a balanced , more resilient , and sustainable economy .”
– Dato ’ Dr Mohmed Razip Hasan
“ Thus , I urge industry players to be more innovative and competitive in developing and promoting their products and services , which must also consider the Muslim market requirements ,” Mohmed Razip said .
The Director-General said MFTH is an open market after all . So many countries are aware of the Muslim tourist market and follow its growth closely while taking a page from Malaysia ’ s playbook .
“ Due to this , local industry players should treat it as a challenge and not to maintain what they have already achieved but also to be better than the rest . “ The Muslim tourist market is dynamic and requires knowledge , skills , talent , service standard , and technology to remain relevant ,” he stressed .
SHORTAGE OF TOURISM PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
With MFTH ’ s exponential growth these past few years , more and more investors and entrepreneurs from the tourism industry are more aware of its potential , leading to an anticipated significant boost soon .
“ The MFTH concept is fairly new in being adopted here in Malaysia . So , it can still be considered to be in its infancy stage , which means that the potential for growth and for businesses to be ‘ first ’ in addressing the market ’ s needs is excellent .
“ There is still a shortage of tourism products and services catering to this market , but ITC is actively engaging with industry players by developing and creating standards and certifications , training programmes , and research to support its growth ,” said Mohmed Razip .
He gave the example of hotels wanting to look into MFTH , whereby ITC will play a role in offering the Muslim-Friendly Accommodation Recognition ( MFAR ), while also training licensed tourist guides under the Ministry of Tourism , Arts and Culture ( MOTAC ) to be Muslim-Friendly Tour Guides ( MFTG ).
“ These two signature ITC programmes are well received and recognised as marketing tools to deal with and facilitate the growing demand for Shariah compliance facilities and personalised and knowledgeable tour guides .
“ With more investment in MFTH , we can see growth in other tourism-related products and services such as fashion , tech solutions , cosmetics and personal care products , and experiences such as medical and wellness , education , financial , entertainment and more ,” elaborated Mohmed Razip . — R & R