Vietnam seeks opportunities to develop Muslim-Friendly tourism

Vietnam is suggested to venture into this market by promoting Muslim-friendly tourism in the country to boost its hospitality market in the near future.

Looking at the increase of Muslim Travel across the globe, it is time for Vietnam to take action, Malaysian experts have recommended during a recent virtual regional workshop on promoting international cooperation to enhance the development of Vietnam’s halal industry.

At the event held early this month, Pham Quang Hieu, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vietnam, said that it needs to accelerate the development of its Halal industry and take full advantage of the lucrative market.

To support Vietnam’s fledgling industry, the Embassy of Malaysia in Hanoi and the Consulate-General of Malaysia in Ho Chi Minh City have welcome any parties interested to learn and venture into the halal market to engage with their representatives in order to better understand the halal market.

Sharing at the event, representatives of the Embassy of Malaysia in Hanoi said Malaysia has once again topped the list of best Muslim-friendly holiday destinations for Muslim travelers, according to the Mastercard-Crescentrating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2021, launched during the inaugural Halal in Travel Global Summit 2021.

YBhg. Dato’ Dr. Noor Zari Hamat, Chairman of ITC and YBhg. Dato’ Dr. Mohmed Razip Haji Hasan, Director General of ITC with the BrandLaureate World Halal Best Brands E-Branding Awards 2021.

Malaysia has retained the leading position in the GMTI since its launch in 2015. Malaysia remains fully supportive and committed to further developing the Muslim-friendly travel segment, which has become increasingly significant to the global tourism market. This achievement springs from the fruits of Malaysia’s continued and steadfast commitment towards developing Muslim-friendly travel, a model that is becoming more and more significant in the global market.

Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC) through the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) tasked with developing the Islamic tourism (IT) segment for Malaysia. It advocates for Muslim-friendly tourism (MFT) by offering research and market intelligence, training, industry development consultation, Muslim-friendly tourism and hospitality (MFTH) services standards and certification, and information exchange.

Among its global network, ITC is considered a leading authority on Muslim-Friendly Tourism, being widely recognized by member states of the Organisation of Islamic Corporation (OIC). This is evident in ITC’s collaborations with OIC via the latter’s key agencies, such as the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) and the Standing Committee Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) of the OIC, where ITC has delivered training and consultancy sessions on MFTH for its fellow OIC member states.

Malaysia is a melting pot of different races, cultures, and demographics, all living together harmoniously under one roof. This attribute makes Malaysia a standout offering of a unique Asian experience.

Halal in travel is essential for Muslim travelers and is part and parcel of Islamic Tourism. Malaysia, being a Muslim majority nation, has many Halal offerings whilst featuring many tour packages that are compliant with Islamic principles – these are the foundation of a successful Islamic Tourism model destination.

The GMTI 2021 report stated that although the pandemic had ravaged the tourism sector, some destinations were ready to be activated in anticipation of border reopening. These destinations had a strong foundation in Muslim-friendly facilities and services and had continued their stakeholder awareness, capacity building, and destination marketing to the Muslim outbound markets even during the pandemic. The Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) will continue striving towards developing a better understanding of the post-COVID-19 requirements of the Muslim tourist market and enhance the facilities, products, and services that are needed.