Onward and upward |
|||
Islamic Tourism Centre remains committed to advancing the Muslim- Friendly Tourism and Hospitality industry |
|||
BY FATIHAH MANAF |
|||
FOLLOWING the reopening of borders in 2022 , the Islamic Tourism Centre ( ITC ) continued to take proactive measures to strengthen the Islamic Tourism industry and the Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality ( MFTH ) offerings . Even before the borders reopening , the Centre actively provided online and physical training programmes to assist industry players in expanding their products and services in anticipation of post-pandemic travel demands . ITC ’ s Chairman , Datuk Hajah Saraya Arbi , who also serves as the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Tourism , Arts and Culture ( MOTAC ), stated that following the lifting of border restrictions , the Centre redoubled its efforts to conduct physical programmes across Malaysia , aiming to engage with industry practitioners from different fields and backgrounds . ITC , through collaborations and partnerships with key stakeholders , achieved significant milestones in promoting Malaysia as a Muslim-friendly destination in 2022 . The Centre implemented a range of initiatives , including the Muslim-Friendly Tourist Guides ( MFTGs ) programme , the Mosque Visit Guide ( MosVi ) programme , and the Islamic Tourism Entrepreneurship and Leadership Seminar ( ITELS ).
EMPOWERING INDUSTRY PRACTITIONERS
Saraya said : “ In less than a year , we managed to recognise a record-breaking 70 MFTGs , so now , we have 131 of them all around Malaysia . This training programme , which equips local licensed tourist guides with the knowledge and information necessary to serve the Muslim tourist market , was also delivered in Sabah and Sarawak for the
|
In less than a year , we managed to recognise a recordbreaking 70 MFTGs , so now , we have 131 of them all around Malaysia ." |
first time , signifying the rising demands for such services in Borneo .
“ We acknowledge the interest of tourists , regardless of race and religion , in Malaysian mosques due to their architecture , artistic , cultural and historical values . Therefore in 2022 , ITC conducted a training programme created for mosque visitor guides and mosque management personnel - the MosVi programme for the first time .
“ This training aimed to encourage more mosques to participate in Mosque Tourism while providing the means to sharpen their hospitality skills . The modules were carefully developed by ITC and Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia ( USIM ).”
She shared that ITC recognised the importance of creating sustainable income generation and responded by launching
ITELS during the pandemic . In 2022 , the programme was held physically for
185 participants in Pulau Pinang , Terengganu and Sarawak , offering inspiration and motivation to existing and aspiring tourism entrepreneurs looking to explore the potential of the Muslim tourist market as a business opportunity .
MORE WORKSHOPS AND NEW MFAR MEMBERS
To support MFTH industry players in their marketing and branding , ITC introduced two media-related workshops in 2022 , the first being the Islamic Tourism Social
Media Marketing Workshop ( ITSOM ). “ We wanted to have a programme where MFTH practitioners can learn to fully utilise social media platforms
|
as communications and marketing platforms to promote their MFTH offerings . So we engaged digital marketing expert Azriel Azim Azelan to help the 45 industry players involved to skill up in this area .
“ Similarly , in our two instalments of the Islamic Tourism Writers Workshop ( ITWW ), we invited senior travel journalists Putri Zanina Megat Zainuddin , formerly from the New Straits Times ’ Travel Times and Juhan Kamaruddin from Gaya Travel Magazine , to give local journalists and content creators a picture of Malaysia as a preferred Muslim-friendly destination and to inform them that there is a career path in becoming niche writers for the Islamic tourism industry ,” said Saraya .
Having a soft spot for culture and heritage , Saraya stated that the workshops also created an opportunity for participating writers to highlight the arts and cultural attractions of Islamic tourism in Malaysia , such as the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia , Sentosa Janda Baik private galleries , The Lemuni in Janda Baik , the Kampung Baru Malay village in KL , Yayasan Restu and Nasyrul Quran .
The year 2022 also witnessed ITC achieving significant progress in expanding its Muslim- Friendly Accommodation Recognition ( MFAR ) programme through increased stakeholder participation , welcoming new members such as The Westin , Seri Pacific Hotel , Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur and Duyong Marina and Resort , Kuala Terengganu . As of December 2022 , there were 52 MFAR hotels recognised by ITC with more expected to join in 2023 .
COLLABORATIONS AND INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENTS
Saraya highlighted that the past year allowed ITC
|