ITC Gears Up Industry Players For Visit Malaysia 2026 With Muslim-Friendly Tourism And Hospitality Awareness Workshop

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, 24 OCTOBER 2023: The Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) kickstarted the development of seamless Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality (MFTH) travel packages, by hosting a comprehensive ‘Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality (MFTH) Awareness Workshop’ at the Seri Pacific Hotel Kuala Lumpur today. This event was strategically designed to share with tourism industry players on the essence of MFTH and the vast potential it holds,

drawing participation from an impressive assembly of over 90 industry professionals, including hoteliers, tourist guides, and travel agents.

“The core objective of the MFTH awareness workshop is to cultivate a comprehensive understanding among industry professionals regarding the unique requirements of the burgeoning Muslim tourist market. This knowledge equips them to proactively cater to the evolving needs of this expanding demographic, subsequently contributing to Malaysia’s overall tourism success,” said ITC’s Director-General, Nizran Noordin.

The workshop featured an insightful briefing on Malaysia’s Halal certification in Malaysia, delivered by the Halal Management Division of the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM). This enlightening session delved into the significance of Halal practices and how they seamlessly integrate with the MFTH products and services, creating an appealing experience for Muslim travellers.

The workshop was capped off with talks on ITC’s recognition programmes – Muslim-Friendly Tourist Guide (MFTG) and Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition (MFAR) which set the standards and guidelines for the industry. This was followed by a session with Tourism Malaysia where participants were guided on the development of Muslim-friendly travel packages.

The Muslim tourist landscape is rapidly on the rise with its numbers displaying exceptionally promising growth in the years ahead. According to Nizran, “In the second quarter of 2023, Muslim tourist arrivals in Malaysia reached a positive number of 2.13 million with a receipt of RM
7.14 billion. This reflects the demand for Muslim-friendly products and services of Muslim tourists when they travel to Malaysia.”

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).
The workshop today was part of ITC’s efforts to prepare tourism industry players for Visit Malaysia 2026 and the growing demand for travel choices by the Muslim tourist market. While Malaysia has firmly established itself as a renowned Muslim-friendly destination, it is now setting its sights on expanding its horizons to new markets, including the Muslim tourist market in China. “For them, travelling to a Muslim-friendly destination like Malaysia, is an exciting notion, as they can freely consume easily found halal food and enjoy Islamic celebrations in a warm and welcoming environment. This is a unique selling proposition that Malaysia can offer,” he added.

Nizran hoped that the workshop today would be an eye-opener for industry players as they head into preparing for Visit Malaysia 2026.

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 [email protected]

-DG