To Use the Wrong Recipe and Expect A Different Result

The urgent need for funding schemes to build a proper halal ecosystem in Hong Kong

The original plan to attract Muslim tourists to Hong Kong began in 2018 but was interrupted by Covid-19. The initiative was revived in 2023 and has been receiving significant media attention this year.

Earlier this month on 17 August, I participated as a panelist at the “Building a Halal Ecosystem” seminar at the HK Food Expo. During the discussion, I pointedly asked: Where is the nearly non-existent halal ecosystem in Hong Kong?

To effectively boost halal tourism, it is crucial to consider the needs and perspectives of Muslim tourists and business travelers, not just local Muslims. As an example, how many halal breakfast options are available in Hong Kong for Muslim tourists and business travelers, beyond just juices and fresh milk from local convenience stores? While this may seem like a minor issue, the opportunity to offer simple but halal breakfast options represents a significant and unexplored business opportunity for Hong Kong’s F&B industry.

Widely acknowledged as a problem, the current halal offerings in Hong Kong remain limited. Most halal-certified restaurants open only at 11 a.m., and while 16 hotels offer halal-certified meals, there is a lack of genuine mass-market halal breakfast options. Despite recent efforts, including the introduction of what is branded as “halal-friendly” meals in these 16 hotels, the government seems unaware that devout Muslims often prefer establishments that serve only halal food. While these cafes may have all the required measures in place to prevent cross-contamination in storage, kitchen practices, and utensils, it is naive to sidestep a standard expectation of Muslim tourists and business visitors.

Given the emphasis on boosting halal tourism in Hong Kong, it is therefore a bit concerning that relevant government bodies might be unaware of these concerns.

Additionally, while 16 hotels offer halal-friendly menus, most evidently cater primarily to business travelers rather than tourists, tour groups, or families. Except for two 5-star hotels in Tsim Sha Tsui and one hotel in Tung Chung, none of the remaining 13 hotels are located in major tourist districts such as Wong Tai Sin, Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei, Jordan, Admiralty, Sheung Wan, HKCEC, Wanchai, Causeway Bay, Ocean Park, or Disneyland. This suggests not only a myopic lack of focus on tourism-based families and Muslim group tours but also highlights the insufficient attention given to providing financial or manpower resources to the halal industry in Hong Kong. Unless someone actively promotes and educates halal options more broadly to the hotel, retail, and F&B industry in major tourist districts, very little will ever change.

In March 2024, the Hong Kong government announced the need to overhaul its halal certification process. However, by late June, this decision was reversed, and the government curiously opted to continue with the current certification provider without initiating a public tender.

Furthermore, although the government announced plans to enhance halal tourism in early 2024 and organized a F&B industry seminar on going halal in June 2024, there has been little public information about subsequent policies, initiatives, or outcomes from the government. While organizing industry events to educate the F&B sector about halal options is beneficial, it is also crucial to provide the nascent halal industry in Hong Kong with the financial tools and resources needed to engage effectively with key players in the F&B industry in Hong Kong.

Most critically, where are the government funding schemes specifically for industry bodies, local entrepreneurs, businesses, and SMEs to promote, educate, and market halal options within Hong Kong’s F&B industry? What is needed are not just existing funding schemes for ethnic minorities, but specialized programs for locals regardless of racial background aimed at boosting local job creation and halal tourism in Hong Kong’s embryonic halal tourism sector.

A key reason for the absence of full-service halal-certified restaurants at major venues like HKCEC and AsiaWorld Expo, let alone at the HK International Airport is the lack of financial, manpower, and bilingual resources needed to market, promote and educate the ease and commercial viability of offering halal options.

After 18 years, since the introduction of halal certification in 2006, Hong Kong has only 115+ halal-certified restaurants, with 42 percent serving Indian or subcontinent cuisine. This highlights a significant lack of diverse options. It is time to encourage a public tender to help identify and shortlist the critical components of a much-needed comprehensive halal ecosystem in Hong Kong.

Ultimately, while discussing the potential of halal tourism in Hong Kong is valuable, immediate and decisive actions are urgently needed to overhaul the city’s nearly non-existent halal ecosystem. Hong Kong therefore must catch up in the halal tourism sector, especially considering how far it lags behind many other countries in Asia. If the current approach persists, the government may conclude in a few years that attracting halal tourism is simply not feasible. However, it is unreasonable to use the wrong recipe and expect a different result. Therefore, we must change course today.