Director-General Islamic Tourism Centre

ALHAMDULILLAH , 2022 was a fruitful and productive year for Islamic Tourism Centre ( ITC ) with many of our plans implemented and new ones being ideated . It was an active year of participation in numerous local , regional and international Islamic Tourism-related events . The fact that there were so many such events simply points to the fact that the world is increasingly aware and curious . Being present at these important events helped us connect and engage , and drive the agenda forward together .

Much of ITC ’ s efforts this year were

concentrated on strengthening our Islamic Tourism offerings – standards and certifications , training , and capacity building , networking , as well as branding and industry development . Throughout the journey , we are glad to see more industry players reaching out to us – a good sign that more are aware of the opportunities within the Muslim tourist market and are ready to act on it . Indeed , Islamic Tourism opens up a whole new dimension in the tourism industry with potential value-creation for the community and society , economy and environment .

At the same time , we are looking ahead to sharpen our focus with innovative thinking and worldview ideas , that will insha Allah , position our industry players strongly in the global market and continue to offer value in

the Islamic Tourism space .

We wrap up the year with this edition of Rest & Rehlah which brings together key stakeholders in the Islamic Tourism ecosystem and we hope that their insights and experiences will inspire others to go on this journey with us .

We thank all government ministries and agencies , our partners , supporters , industry players , the media and the public for their continued support and partnership . May we continue to nurture positive and impactful relationships for the future .

Dato ’ Dr Mohmed Razip Hasan

			P12 Connecting people to Turkiye and beyond Turkish Airlines ensures halal compliance to better cater to Muslim passengers P13 Creating job opportunities Enhancing accessibility and inclusivity in tourism P14 Stories of Sustainability Islamic Tourism Writers Workshop promotes strong and positive narratives on Islamic Tourism contents P15 Creating powerful social media content Islamic Tourism Social Media Marketing Workshop empowers tourism stakeholders in promoting Islamic Tourism online P16 Developing human capital Muslim-friendly Tour Guide training course helps tourist guides to provide better services for Muslim travellers P17 Sarawak steps up efforts to attract Muslim tourist market Islamic Tourism Centre launched the Muslim-Friendly Tour Guide logo during the programme in Sarawak P18 • Intensifying Islamic tourism collaborations with Uzbekistan • Forging a strategic alliance with MATTA • Supporting MFAR recipients through a partnership with TUI
CONTENTS	04 P04 Islamic Tourism : A new force P05 Inspiring balance , transformation and solutions Islamic Tourism plays a vital role in unveiling the correct narrative and inclusivity of Islam P06 A new perspective on tourism Islamic Tourism offers a balanced strategy and solution for a better world P07 • Ziarah tourism in Uzbekistan • Exploring the beauty of Bukhara and Samarkand P08 • Maldives – a Muslim-friendly destination • Taking the best from the East and West P09 • Improving tourism modules at the university level • Cruising with peace of mind P10 • New-age marketing tools • Enhancing accessibility and inclusivity in tourism P11 Becoming an online-ready Muslim-friendly destination National tourism organisations must make information on Muslim-friendly products and services accessible to Muslim travellers	05 07 11		P19 Highlights of Islamic Tourism Centre events in 2023 08

@Halal R&R - Rest & Rehlah November/December 2022 | Page 2

MESSAGE FROM

MESSAGE FROM

Director-General Islamic Tourism Centre

CONTENTS