I see the growing number of Muslim travellers , not only to Malaysia but also among Muslim countries . With over two billion Muslims around the world , I hope that ITC will continue to spearhead and lead the tourism industry , particularly concerning Muslim travellers . ITC also plays a role in educating and advising other tourism destinations outside the country on how to accommodate and facilitate the needs of Muslim travellers .

“ During my time , we collaborated with Japanese NTOs and tour operators as they prepared for the Olympics , helping them understand how to prepare facilities for Muslim athletes . We also advised tourism players in Taiwan , Hong Kong , and Korea on how to cater to Muslim tourists . I view this as a fardhu kifayah to ensure that Muslim travellers can journey anywhere in the world without their needs being neglected or taken lightly .

“ I hope that there will be a continued focus on advisory roles and guiding industry players interested in Muslim travellers , not just in Malaysia but around the world , fostering a well-rounded and inclusive tourism industry .”

Datuk Zainuddin Wahab , Former ITC Director-General 2009-2011

Wow , 15 years old ! Growing from a baby to 15 years is not easy , and ITC has also grown significantly over this period . ITC has developed a unique branding within the tourism industry . Whenever people think of Muslim-friendly packages , they associate them with ITC . ITC has done an excellent positioning of its own branding .

“ Besides establishing itself as a significant Muslim-friendly tourism promotion centre for Malaysia , ITC has actively participated in international tourism events , promoting Malaysia as a Muslim-friendly destination . This initiative by ITC places Malaysia ahead of other countries that are just beginning to develop in this area .

“ MICA is a non-governmental and non-profit organisation , but we have a very close relationship with ITC . ITC has made considerable efforts , as developing a Muslimfriendly environment is challenging and requires a solid infrastructure . By solid infrastructure , I mean that hotels and restaurants must be certified .

“ What about travel agents ? We work closely with ITC to achieve the main objective of establishing Muslim-friendly travel agencies that cater to Muslim travellers . We hope that ITC will continue to work hard to get more travel agents accredited under the Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition ( MFAR ). Another critical aspect of becoming a Muslim-friendly destination is the Muslim-friendly Tourist Guide ( MFTG ) programme .”

Dr Cindy Seow , Deputy President of Malaysia Inbound Chinese Association ( MICA )

ITC is actually one of the prominent organisations promoting the Muslimfriendly tourism and hospitality concept , which is one of the most popular concepts of tourism right now , not only in Malaysia but also around the world .

“ Despite having different terms such as halal tourism and Islamic tourism , ITC has developed a very organic Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality ( MFTH ) concept . Quite a few countries have adopted this concept .

“ ITC has done quite a good job , especially in creating awareness about the importance of Islamic tourism , not only focusing on the Muslim market but also on non- Muslim segments .

“ Looking at history , Malaysia is a well-known tourism destination . After the 9 / 11 incidents , the Malaysian government took a very positive initiative by developing ITC . Since then , ITC has been championing the Islamic tourism concept , surpassing many Islamic nations .

“ One of the most significant achievements of ITC is the development of the Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition ( MFAR ).

“ ITC initially started as a training centre and has become a centre of excellence for Islamic tourism . Because of ITC , Universiti Teknologi MARA ( UiTM ) and many other higher education institutions now view Islamic tourism as the future of tourism in Malaysia .

“ The engagement and relationship between ITC and our lecturers and researchers are quite close . We have been working together side by side . ITC has supported our efforts in creating awareness , promoting the product itself , and even helping to place our students as interns in Islamic tourism-related positions .”

Prof . Dr Hafiz Hanafiah , Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality , Universiti Teknologi MARA ( UiTM )

I believe ITC is a beacon for Muslim-friendly tourism and hospitality globally , an organisation who has believed passionately in the potential of this segment and who has been leading research and training into it for the past 15 years , back when no-one really talked about Muslimfriendly travel at all . Now each week , you see more destinations talking about Muslim friendly tourism ’ s potential .

" One of my standout memories from my time collaborating with ITC was being given the opportunity to present the work from our joint report on the progress that National Tourism Organisations ( NTOs ) are making to produce online content for Muslim travellers , on stage at the last World Islamic Tourism Conference ( WITC ) - it was special to see our hard work being spotlighted .

“ WITC is an amazing platform to gather together thought leaders in the Muslim-friendly travel space and push the agenda forward . But I also believe that the grassroots training that the ITC team does around Malaysia , as well as its Government-to- Government initiatives , are also powerful .

“ My advice would be to continue pushing forward and ‘ demystifying ’ Muslim-friendly travel , making it clear that it is about inclusion , rather than exclusion , and bringing ITC ’ s knowledge to more non-OIC countries around the world who are excited to attract more Muslim tourists .”

Hannah Pearson , Director of Pear Anderson

On behalf of Sunway Hotels and Resorts , I would like to wish ITC a very , very happy birthday . Fifteen years is an amazing milestone .

“ Over the past 15 years , ITC has been an excellent platform for many hotels to showcase what Islamic tourism is all about . It has been immensely beneficial to our industry , especially to hotels . We have managed to attract many tourists and help them understand what Muslim-friendly means .

“ I have been engaging with ITC for the past 10 years , and I have seen numerous programmes and initiatives by ITC that have supported us , particularly in increasing our revenue and raising awareness about what we offer under the ITC platform .”

Nazli Ahmad , Director of Protocol , Diplomatic Affairs , and F & B Sales of Sunway Resort Hotel