ALOR SETAR, KEDAH, 30 JANUARY 2024: Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) successfully organised the fourth edition of its Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality (MFTH) Awareness Seminar at the Raia Hotel and Convention Centre, Alor Setar, Kedah on 30 January.
The programme empowered industry stakeholders with the knowledge to seamlessly integrate Muslim-friendly practices. It focused on illuminating the vast potential of Muslim-friendly tourism, shedding light on the prevailing tourism trends in the Northern Region, ITC’s recognition programmes and the importance of Halal certification in the Muslim-friendly tourism and hospitality sector.
A robust turnout of over 70 participants, including tourist accommodations, spa and wellness operators and other tourism-related businesses, reflected the earnest interest from industry players towards the Muslim market.
Munnir Izzam from Go Sports Ventures said: “We are grateful that ITC hosted this seminar, which has provided us with invaluable insights into the Muslim tourist market. We are eager to collaborate with ITC and delve deeper into how we can capitalise on the potential of this market, particularly in the realm of sports tourism.”
As Malaysia gears up for Visit Year 2026, ITC remains committed to guiding and empowering industry players to capitalise on the anticipated surge in Muslim tourist arrivals. Plus, it is forecasted that in 2028 the number of global Muslim tourist arrivals will reach 230 million with a total expenditure of USD 225 billion (RM 987 billion).
Nizran Noordin, Director-General of ITC, expressed optimism about the immense potential of tourist destinations in the Northern Region. He emphasised the strategic step of developing and promoting Muslim-friendly tourism packages to tap into the burgeoning global Muslim tourist market.
“To further enhance confidence among the Muslim tourist market, it is crucial for industry players to focus on the recognition of their Muslim-friendly products and services. This can be achieved through ITC’s recognition programmes, namely the Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition (MFAR) and Muslim-Friendly Tourist Guide (MFTG),” he said.
In a visionary move, the government is laying the groundwork for Malaysia to emerge as a distinguished Umrah Hub in the region, presenting Muslim tourists from Southeast Asia, East Asia and Oceania with the unique opportunity to explore the nation’s diverse attractions both before and after embarking on their Umrah pilgrimage. Recognising the immense potential of this new development, ITC is actively spearheading efforts to cultivate an environment that aligns seamlessly with the evolving needs of Muslim travellers in every region in the country.
This awareness seminar was the first of its kind in the northern region, where previously it was held in Kuala Lumpur, Sabah and Sarawak. ITC always welcome industry players who are interested in joining our MFTH programmes. For further details, please visit www.itc.gov.my or contact us via email at itc@itc.gov.my.
About 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) 2023, a position it has defended since the launch of the Index in 2015. In the same year, Malaysia was 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 contact:
Islamic Tourism Centre,
Level 13, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia
No. 2 Tower 1, Jalan P5/6,
Precinct 5, 62200 Putrajaya, Malaysia
Tel: 03-8891 7177 or via email comms@itc.gov.my
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