ITC ENTICES EUROPEAN MARKET WITH MUSLIM-FRIENDLY MALAYSIA OFFERINGS

PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA, 17 FEBRUARY 2024: Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) continues to explore opportunities for Malaysian tourism industry players in the growing Muslim tourist market, through a special Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality (MFTH) Sales Mission to Paris, France and London, United Kingdom from 18 to 25 February 2024.

The mission, which is set to tap into the estimated 25.7 million European Muslim population, will see ITC engaging with local travel agents and the Muslim community associations to share the best of Muslim-friendly Malaysia offerings including Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition (MFAR)-approved services that also cover accommodations and Muslim-Friendly Tourist Guides (MFTGs). ITC will also get in touch with the media and key influencers among Muslim communities in Paris and London, such as the British Muslim Magazine and Islamic Channel.

In London, ITC and Tourism Malaysia will lead Malaysia’s delegation at the Muslim Travel Show at Excel London on 24 and 25 February 2024, which will conclude the sales mission. All 40,000 expected visitors of the two-day affair will have the chance to get acquainted with Malaysia’s varied attractions and services from ITC, Tourism Malaysia and other partners showcasing their MFTH products and services, namely Andalusia Travel and Tours, Kurma Getaways Travel Management and Nasyrul Quran.

ITC and Tourism Malaysia will also introduce the newly launched MY Ramadan Experience packages to the European market, where tourists can find an impressive selection of 4-day-3-night or 3-day-2-night programmes, offering an unparalleled opportunity to immerse themselves in the vibrant festivities of Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month, in Malaysia.

Nizran Noordin, Director-General, ITC said: “ITC organised this sales mission following the success of the China Imam Familiarisation Trip we organised last January, where some 35 Imams from the East Asian country were introduced to Malaysia’s diverse culture, heritage, nature and modern attractions in a tour package tailored to suit the Muslim tourists’ interests and needs. From this effort alone of collaborating with the Imams and our partner, Malaysia Inbound Chinese Association (MICA), we expect to see a cascading impact which will bring in some 18,000 Muslim tourists from China.”

He added: “We see the same opportunity in the European market that we want to tap into. In France, there is a Muslim population of 5.7 million, and in the UK, a study revealed that 68% of British Muslims are prioritising halal food availability and Muslim-friendly environments when they choose their travel destinations. Traditionally considered in the tourism industry to have substantial purchasing power, the market is showing a high demand for outbound travel, a combination that Malaysia’s tourism businesses can benefit from, especially in preparing for the much-anticipated “Visit Malaysia Year 2026.”

Meanwhile, Malaysia as a Muslim-majority nation provides a mature and established Muslim-friendly ecosystem that allows Muslim travellers to enjoy the widely available Halal food ranging from local delicacies to international fast-food chains, visit tourist attraction sites with on-site Musollahs, spend their nights at Muslim-friendly hotels, and enjoy many other value-added services that make travelling a hassle-free experience for them. These have earned Malaysia the top position in the CrescentRating and Mastercard Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) report on Muslim-Friendly Destination Ranking for eight consecutive times from 2015 to 2023 (no report was released in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic). On top of that, Malaysia’s recently announced plans for visa liberalisation and connectivity expansion will make the destination even more accessible to global Muslim travellers.

To find out more about MFTH or ITC, come and visit ITC at the Muslim Travel Show (Booth M30, Halls N1-N5). To arrange for media interviews, contact us at nadhirah@itc.gov.my.

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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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