ISLAMIC TOURISM CENTRE-KYRGYZ REPUBLIC FORGE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TO BOOST ISLAMIC TOURISM

Caption: (Left to right) H.E. Mr. Maksat Usubaliev, Director of Kyrgyzstan’s Department of Tourism and Mr. Nizran Noordin, Director-General of ITC sign the MoU for collaborations in Islamic Tourism

KUALA LUMPUR, 28 OCTOBER 2024 – Following the Prime Minister, YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s official visit to the Kyrgyz Republic in May, the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) is pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Tourism under the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic. This landmark agreement paves the way for enhanced collaboration and cooperation between the two countries in the realm of Islamic tourism.

A ceremony was held today at DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur to mark the signing of the MOU by H.E. Mr. Maksat Usubaliev, Director of Kyrgyzstan’s Department of Tourism and Mr. Nizran Noordin, Director-General of ITC. Also in attendance were H.E. Mr. Anvar Anarbaev, Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to Malaysia; Ms. Svetlana Kalchakeeva, Head of International Co-operation Department of the Tourism Development Support Fund of the Kyrgyz Republic; Ms. Saltanat Midin Kyzy, President of the Kyrgyz Association of Tourism Organizations; YBhg. Dato’ Yeoh Soon Hin, Deputy Chairman of Tourism Malaysia; Mr. Sheikh Awadh Sheikh Abdullah, Deputy President of Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA), and tourism industry players from Malaysia and Kyrgyz.

The three-year partnership aims to leverage the expertise and resources of both parties to develop and promote Islamic tourism products and services, enhance the capacity of local stakeholders, and foster cultural exchange between Malaysia and Kyrgyzstan.

H.E. Mr. Maksat said: “We recognise that Malaysia has very rich touristic experiences and facilities as a Muslim-friendly destination. We expect that our tourism service providers and travel agencies can also enhance themselves in this field. We want to set high standards and study the experience of Malaysia in the tourism field. Many people in the world see Malaysia has done a great job in attracting Muslim tourists. Today’s agreement will give us the opportunity to increase Muslim-friendly tourism services in our own tourism industry.”

H.E. Anvar added: “This MoU is primarily a recognition of Malaysia’s experience in terms of Islamic tourism promotion. We recognise Malaysia’s expertise in this field and are looking forward to learn more about this new dimension and nurture deep cooperation with Malaysia in this field.”

Mr. Nizran commented: “Through this MOU, we hope to enhance the capacity of both countries to develop and promote Islamic tourism products and services through training, education, standards and guidelines development, and the sharing of resources. We are excited to share ITC’s experience in developing the Malaysian Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality (MFTH) ecosystem.”

He added: “Ultimately, we look forward to being engaged in an advisory or consultancy role, particularly for the development of recognition programmes in the Kyrgyz Republic, such as our Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition (MFAR) and Muslim-Friendly Tourist Guide (MFTG). Our vision is to create a standardised global branding for Muslim-friendly tourism products and services that is easily recognisable and sought after by Muslim travellers.”

The MOU outlines several key areas for collaboration between ITC and the Kyrgyz Republic Department of Tourism, including:

Joint Capacity Building Initiatives: Organising training courses, seminars, workshops, and study visits to enhance the skills and knowledge of tourism professionals in both countries.
Islamic Tourism Indicators: Collaborating on the development of a standardised methodology for collecting, analysing, and disseminating data related to Islamic tourism.
Information Exchange: Sharing statistics and information on Islamic tourism trends and developments.
Research Collaboration: Exploring joint research projects and exchanging research findings on Islamic tourism.

The partnership between ITC and the Kyrgyz Republic is expected to have a positive impact on both countries, fostering economic growth, cultural exchange, and mutual understanding. We believe this partnership will contribute significantly to the growth and development of Islamic tourism on a global scale.

Access the full Digital Media Kit here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dba9Vrws0tyn8czNtGSPojB3TmYTvtSC

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About the Islamic Tourism Centre

Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) is an entity under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Malaysia, tasked to develop the Islamic Tourism 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 recognition, and information exchange.

Malaysia was named the top country in the region in the MFTH sector by the State of the Global Islamic Economy (SGIE) Report 2022. The country also retained the top-ranked destination in the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2024, a position it has defended since the launch of the Index in 2015. Malaysia was also recognised as the Top Muslim-Friendly Destination of the Year (OIC) and the Top Muslim Women-Friendly Destination of the Year in Halal in Travel Awards 2023.

In addition, ITC was named the recipient of the Strategic Business Alliance Award at The BrandLaureate World Halal Best Brand E-Branding Awards 2021. It is a recognition of ITC’s efforts and endeavours in formulating new strategies to meet the new normal of the business environment to ensure business continuity and sustainability, notwithstanding its role in developing and growing the Islamic tourism segment in Malaysia.

These recognitions are an added motivation for ITC to continue to strengthen its efforts in being a prime mover and leading institution to ensure Malaysia is at the forefront of MFTH.

For further details, kindly email comms@itc.gov.my or the following individuals: