@ Halal Xtra 14 November-December 2021
MIHAS 2021
BY ALISA AMINUDIN
IN CONJUNCTION with the 17th Malaysia International Halal Showcase ( MIHAS ), Islamic Tourism Centre ( ITC ) organised a Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality ( MFTH ) Forum , which engaged a global audience interested in leveraging the potential in Muslim-Friendly Tourism .
ITC has taken it a step further by rephrasing “ Muslim- Friendly Tourism ” to “ Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality ,” reflecting the broader business prospects .
The forum highlighted the accommodation , tour guide , healthy lifestyle , and medical sectors to indicate that ITC ’ s MFTH branding has a broad range of applications and enormous prospects for all .
The webinar featured speakers Zakaria Ismail , Jane Rai , Liz Othman and Mohd Daud Mohd Arif . Nawar Anisah moderated the session .
Best practices of Attana Hotels and Resorts
Zakaria Ismail , Hotel Manager Perdana Kuala Lumpur City Centre , shared about Attana Hotels and Resorts , managing a portfolio of seven hotel and resort properties and three golf clubs worth RM800 million .
He shared that by conveying as a Muslim-friendly hotel , Attana Hotels and Resorts has received four awards from SIRIM on Quality Management System Requirement in 2006 and Halal Certified Food Preparation , Process , Control and Storage by JAKIM in 2007 .
In 2008 , Attana Hotels and Resort was again awarded by SIRIM for Shariah- Based Quality Management Systems and Muslim-Friendly Accommodation Recognition from ITC in 2020 .
Zakaria , who has more than 28 years in the hospitality industry , ensures a Muslim-friendly environment at Attana Hotels and Resorts as he sees the potential of tourism in this sector .
Zakaria shared Attana Hotels and Resorts provided for Muslim tourists with facilities such as Al-Quran , prayer mats , prayer veil , sarong and prayer times . There is also a prayer room that accommodates up to 100 people at a time .
“ Halal amenities are provided in every room . Guests can use these without any hesitation and doubt .”
Zakaria added ‘ sertu ’ or Islamic cleaning process using Taharah soap certified by JAKIM was applied for every room , utensils , and crockery according to the Shariah requirements .
“ A specific time is also provided for Muslimah to use the swimming pool on their own without any disturbance like different gender in the same pool ,” said Zakaria .
The hotel also sources halal products from suppliers with JAKIM certification to ensure the supplies are 100 per cent halal .
In creating Shariah-compliant management in the organisation ,
ITC intensifies tourism industry Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality : Potentials and Perspectives reflects broader business prospects
MasterCard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index 2021 predicted 26 million international Muslim tourist arrivals in 2021 . By 2023 , the Muslim travel industry will have recovered up to 80 per cent of its 2019 levels .”
the doa recital and tazkirah is implemented before a daily meeting or operation to develop a strong belief and professional individuals .
Besides that , Zakaria also stressed on laundry inspection as hygiene was vital and the cleaning needed to be done according to Shariah specifications .
Reflections of A Muslimfriendly Tourist Guide
Jane Rai , an award-winning and Muslim-friendly tourist guide ( MFTG ), who has been in the tourism industry for 32 years , shared the opportunities by ITC . She said training and certification programmes had been provided since 2017 .
The brand trust and positioning that ITC adopted achieved their desire to be the top leader in Muslim-friendly tourism and hospitality . There would be an increase in job opportunities and a more diverse market to tap into .
A strong engagement with tourism and hospitality players , such as organising seminars , talks , awards , and webinars , showed that ITC ’ s dynamic team always reaches out to tourist guides .
“ It allows me to connect with my guests and explain to them . They find it amazing for a Punjabi girl to explain a little bit about the whole proposition ,” said Jane .
She emphasised that attending the MFTG course and certification by ITC helped her to be mindful of the general requirements that Muslim travellers or tourists needed in the itinerary planning , such as mosque locations , Shariah-compliant hotels , halal foods and others .
Jane mentioned the course provided knowledge and understanding of the needs of Muslim travellers , social interaction with local and international Muslim tourists , and the expansion of the Muslim travel market globally .
“ It creates more job opportunities , and we can offer better tour products and service providers that meet Muslim needs .
The tour activities go on virtually by using the Loka Local platform that connects the guests to the places and culture of Malaysia and Southeast Asia as the pandemic hits the whole nation . Virtual 360 tours , a live guided tour via zoom from home , enable Jane and other tour guides to share knowledge and values of MFTG .
“ The virtual tours not only cater for free independent travellers and group-inclusive tours . There is a demand to include conferences and events . A majority of participants who have been a part of this educational tour are students and families .”
“ The virtual tours I ’ m doing right now is helping me to promote Muslim-friendly places and interest ,” said Jane .
Muslim-friendly Spa : The Untapped Potentials
“ With the new trend and new consumer behaviour in the marketplace , the untapped market of Muslim friendly spa concept is a huge opportunity for spa industry players ,” said Liz Othman , Founder of Teratak Spa .
Liz opined that Muslim friendly spa could become a new business model . It can be done with another branding to give a fresh look .
The market can rebound positively after shutting down for almost 18 months . However , Liz said they needed to revise the target market , develop new marketing strategies , and create new services , spas and products . The rebirth would attract more leads and even increase local guests ’ retention .
“ Muslim friendly spa can become a unique selling proposition in business . Players can personalise and customise the services with Muslim friendly spa concept to cater to different needs and expectation as this would make the spa business stay relevant and competitive in the market .”
Consumers were now more cautious regarding safety and hygiene with the new standard operating procedure ( SOPs ). Liz stressed spa players must ensure standards as cleanliness was integral . It would provide the faster recovery of the spa sector .
“ I foresee that Muslim-friendly spa would be in high demand when the pandemic is over .”
Liz said the potential career pathway in a Muslim-friendly spa would attract and retain local talent . It would reduce dependency on foreign therapists , especially during this trying time .
She recalled her experience with a local therapist . “ Most of them are millennials , not only hardworking and committed , but they are also creative and innovative .”
Liz highlighted Muslim-friendly spas provided job opportunities for male therapists as the industry is now more associated with the female gender .
She suggested a new training programme for male therapists in collaboration with local institutions such as GiatMARA , Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara ( IKBN ), University Malaysia Kelantan ( UMK ) and community colleges .
“ These training institutions can play important roles in producing the workforce to cater for the needs of Muslim-friendly spa ,” said Liz to overcome the shortage of therapists in Malaysia ’ s spa sector .
Muslim-Friendly Medical Tourism : Potentials & Opportunities
Mohd Daud Mohd Arif , the Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council ( MHTC ), emphasised furthering Malaysia ’ s vision to become a medical destination .
Mohd Daud mentioned MHTC partnered with certain hospitals to drive healthcare travel based on stringent criteria . An independent committee could ensure these medical facilities possess international accreditation , are equipped with world-class services and offer niche treatments .