Southeast Asia To Develop Common Standards To Promote Muslim-Friendly Tourism

Malaysia is keen to collaborate with the travel industry in Indonesia and Thailand to develop a common set of Muslim-friendly tourism standards in hopes of attracting more Muslim travelers to the destinations.

The initiative, proposed by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC), would enhance cooperation within the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT).

Noor Zari Hamat, MOTAC secretary-general, shared that his ministry, through its agency, Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC), is willing to take the lead.

ITC was set up in 2009 with the aim of developing the Islamic tourism industry through research, capacity building, standards and certification, training, and branding.

Noor Zari noted that the three countries had the potential to appeal to a greater segment of Muslim tourists – Malaysia and Indonesia ranked among the top five Muslim-friendly tourist destinations in the Global Muslim Travel Index 2021, while Thailand was among the top five non-OIC countries deemed Muslim-friendly.

Speaking at an ITC webinar entitled Understanding Muslim Friendly Tourism, he said: “As a sub-region, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand have rich resources in terms of beautiful and attractive natural landscapes, unique culture, history, and world-renowned heritage sites, delicious cuisine, warm and wonderful hospitality and exciting events, among many others.

“These are all assets that have potential to draw the interests of not only conventional tourists but also the lucrative Muslim tourist market.”

He called on stakeholders from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand to leverage each country’s strengths to establish a compelling and attractive sub-regional tourist destination so as to capitalize on the pent-up travel demand among Muslim tourists post-pandemic.

Uzaidi Udanis, president of the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association, welcomed MOTAC’s proposal. He said: “Having a common standard assures Muslim travelers from the South-east Asia region and beyond that their faith-based needs will be met when they visit Indonesia, Thailand or Malaysia – three countries that are actively wooing the Muslim traveler.”

ITC has developed a halal standard for Muslim-friendly accommodations and is working towards establishing similar standards in other areas such as spas, tour packages, and healthcare.

Originally published on ttgasia.com