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A REVIEW ITC 2020-2025
Standards & Skills: MFAR + MFTG become market signals
From recognition to readiness: building trust into every touchpoint
Malaysia’ s competitive edge rests on two reinforcing levers: clear standards and skilled people. The Muslim‐Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition( MFAR) provides businesses with a structured approach to demonstrate Muslim-friendly readiness across dining, accommodation, amenities, and operations.
Auditable criteria and on‐site assessments translate abstract promises into practical readiness: kitchen workflows, prayer facilities, hygiene, signage and guest communication. The Muslim‐Friendly Tourist Guide( MFTG) equips guides to translate values into service: dignity, modesty, time‐awareness for prayers, and practical facilitation from wayfinding to dietary needs.
In 2024 – 2025, the Islamic Tourism Centre( ITC) doubled down: a national MFAR marketing campaign to bring SMEs into the fold; competency programmes for accommodation operators; and refresher courses for guides aligned to American Heart Association( AHA) standards in first aid / CPR / AED.
Partnerships with associations such as the Malaysia Inbound Chinese Association( MICA) and sessions with hotel groups widened participation. The MFAR BizReady Guidebook distilled market insights and step‐by‐step readiness for owners who needed a simple starting point.
WHY IT WORKS
MFAR and MFTG are intelligible to travellers, operators and policymakers. They de‐risk choices for families, seniors, and travellers with special needs and turn‘ Muslim‐friendly’ from a claim into an audited commitment.
For operators, recognitions open new demand while providing a service playbook; for government, they generate consistent outcomes nationwide. For travel trade, they simplify product design, operators know which hotels are MFAR‐certified and which guides are MFTG‐qualified.
Looking ahead to Visit Malaysia 2026( VM2026), the standards‐and‐skills engine will remain the core of Malaysia’ s proposition. The brief is simple: keep expanding recognitions, scale refreshers, and make participation easy for budget and mid‐scale segments beyond the big brands, especially across secondary cities and rural circuits. Consider‘ recognition sprints’ by region, bundled with training and marketing to accelerate uptake where it matters for new itineraries.
MFAR Competency Training Programme( Tourist Accommodation
Premises).
MFAR Competency Training( accommodation)
concluded at Wyndham Acmar Klang, 24 – 26 June 2025
MFTG Refresher Course( AHA‐aligned first aid / CPR / AED)
16 June 2025, Sunway Velocity
Industry outreach
MFAR BizReady Guidebook launched to help SMEs enter the Muslim travel market
“ This achievement is the result of a collective effort by industry players … MFTH products and services shine when we work together.”
— Datuk Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan, Deputy Minister of MOTAC—
RnR July – Aug 2025, p. 7
References: RnR July – Aug 2025.