@Halal XTRA November/December 2021 | Page 5

FOOD IS the key to one ’ s heart . In highlighting Selangor ’ s tourist destinations , Azrul Shah Mohamad , the Chief Executive Officer of Tourism Selangor , urged the team to develop the State ’ s Food Map .

“ Malaysians like to eat ,” said Azrul , adding the word gastronomy may be foreign to some , so he told the team to use ‘ Food Map ’.

“ Food will unite Malaysians regardless of who they are . Food is the element that unites us all .”

Azrul then mentioned many Muslim travellers visited Selangor for sightseeing . Some of the famous attractions in the State are Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque , or the Blue Mosque , the second largest mosque in Southeast Asia , Selangor International Islamic Art Complex , and historical sites located in Klang District .

He stated that the State also offered a wide array of fun activities designed for different interests suitable for Muslim and non-Muslim tourists .

According to Azrul , both Muslim and non-Muslim tourists enjoy the local delicacies available in the State . As for the Muslim tourists , he said there are tonnes of Muslim-friendly restaurants in the State which offer halal food .

“ Muslim tourists can consume the food without hesitation and worries . The

non-Muslim tourists may also hunt for authentic traditional food across the State .

“ I want to share about one restaurant called Restoran Lembah Bernam located in Sabak Bernam District . There , travellers may witness the beauty of lush paddy fields while enjoying unique and exotic food , mostly cooked in Javanese cooking style ,” shared Azrul .

Some of the food include Nasi Ambeng and Punten , which are famous among Javanese people .

Azrul said being appointed as the Chief Executive Officer amid the pandemic was challenging as no one had seen it coming .

He mentioned the pandemic was unprecedented , but the experience that Tourism Selangor had gone through during the period had been valuable to the whole team .

He then shared some other initiatives that Tourism Selangor had taken during the pandemic to promote the State ’ s tourism . These initiatives include offering RM200 tourism vouchers , amounting to RM3 million ( carried out in two phases ), and appointing Che Puan Juliana Evans as its Pusing Selangor Dulu campaign ambassador .

“ Eager to travel ? Pusing Selangor Dulu !” said Azrul .

holiday and MICE tourism destination in Malaysia . We have been giving full support to the State ’ s tourism industry players to strengthen their products and services and will continue doing so in many years to come .”

He mentioned the collaborations with the local travel agencies helped these agents to expand their businesses further . He shared that some travel agents might need some assistance to cater to specific market segments like Muslim travellers .

He highlighted that Tourism Selangor would continue its dedication to providing the best possible service to the State ’ s tourism industry . He also shared that , moving forward , Tourism Selangor would develop a digital campaign on Muslim-friendly travel packages in Selangor .

“ The campaign will also highlight the unique elements of Selangor ’ s gastronomy , which will give exposure to the many choices of halal delights in Selangor to the tourists .

“ Partnership engagement and industry readiness are two critical elements towards establishing a more robust Muslim tourism sector .

Muslim-friendly tourism is now snowballing as the travel ’ s supplyand-demand increases from time to time .

“ We look forward to more Muslim tourists from Southeast Asian countries such as Brunei , Indonesia , Thailand , and Singapore ,” said Azrul , adding that Tourism Selangor will strive to make the tourists feel close to home when they are travelling to the State .

Opting for tourism digitalisation

According to Azrul , tourism digitalisation has become a trend for many industry players in their tourism recovery plans . It is because the trend is the most proactive way to reach their target audience .

“ Currently , Tourism Selangor ’ s events are held virtually and hybrid . However , there will be changes in the

future , subject to the current standard operating procedures ( SOPs ) set by the National Security Council on any future executions .”

Acknowledging that the Covid-19 pandemic had caused significant damage to the tourism sector , Azrul said the tourism digitalisation gave out new aspirations to revive the industry and gain the public ’ s trust to travel once again .

“ The situation will get better when the borders reopen , allowing for international commercial travels and the collection of the tourism tax . Travel agents in Selangor are always ready to provide tourists with exciting travel packages , even before the pandemic ,” said Azrul , adding that travel agents are well versed in the information regarding the State ’ s tourist attractions , gastronomy and advanced transportation .

“ The Selangor government through Tourism Selangor is more than ready to strengthen initiatives on Muslimfriendly tourism and welcome Muslim tourists to the State for a well-rounded and enriched travel experience .” – Xtra