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Halal tourism, often known as Muslim-friendly tourism. For Muslim vacationers, the attraction of vacationing in a halal-friendly locale is unmatched. Such locations get rid of the chance of inadvertently adopting a pescatarian weight-reduction plan, present easy accessibility to prayer services, and get rid of the necessity for journey shattafs.
Because the fastest-growing religion globally, Islam constitutes the second-largest spiritual group, with Indonesia main because the nation with the best Muslim inhabitants, adopted by Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Egypt, Iran, and Turkey.
This phase additionally consists of different variations like Shariah Tourism and Ziyarah Tourism, which cater to particular spiritual or cultural preferences.
Islam is the world’s most quickly increasing faith, presently accounting for about 24.9% of the worldwide inhabitants, with over 1.9 billion adherents. This positions Muslims because the second largest spiritual group globally the bulk reside in Asia.
In Southeast Asia, Islamic tourism is gaining momentum, notably in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, prompting initiatives just like the Joint Seminar on Islamic Tourism (JoSIT). This seminar facilitates bilateral discussions and cooperation on Islamic tourism sustainability, with trade consultants from Southeast Asia sharing insights and finest practices.
The Muslim Journey Intent Tracker (MTIT) and the Muslim Traveler Accountable Tourism Framework. Discover high locations, the GMTI Efficiency Matrix, and projections for Muslim traveler arrivals and expenditures. The GMTI 2024 provides essential insights and introduces the RIDA framework, highlighting the restoration of Muslim worldwide guests, anticipated to surpass pre-pandemic ranges in 2024.
The GMTI 2024 report, launched on Might 30, additionally acknowledged Malaysia because the “Top Muslim-Friendly Destination of the Year by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)” in Singapore. These achievements generated RM14.70 billion in income for Malaysia final 12 months.
As worldwide borders have reopened, a big enlargement is predicted within the Muslim journey market.
The terminology surrounding Halal journey is numerous, typically encompassing phrases like Halal Tourism, Muslim Pleasant Journey, and Islamic Journey, amongst others.
To make clear these phrases, Crescentrating has launched the first-ever glossary detailing travel-specific terminology for the Muslim/Halal journey sector, together with insights into Islamic core values and culturally particular journey practices.
Malaysia not solely provides a full suite of high-standard healthcare services at very inexpensive costs, however we additionally present insurance coverage and Halal, Muslim-friendly medical services. These three elements place them exceptionally nicely to advertise medical tourism. Moreover, vacationers searching for religious and Halal meals will discover these out there, making them very comfy, particularly in GCC international locations. Therefore it deserves to be too most popular nation. In an Unique Interview TTW Editor Mr. Anup Keshan with Nader El Biblawi, Chairman of the Egypt Journey Agent Affiliation.
TravelandTourWorld proudly helps this occasion as an official media associate.
Key options of halal tourism embrace:
Halal Resorts: These institutions prohibit alcohol and playing, serve halal meals solely, and supply Qurans, prayer mats, and Qibla-direction indicators in every room. The structure of rooms ensures that beds and bathrooms don’t face Mecca, and prayer rooms can be found.
Halal Transport (Airways): Airways catering to Muslim passengers preserve cleanliness, provide non-alcoholic drinks, and supply publications which might be suitable with Islamic teachings.
Halal Meals Premises: Eating places should serve halal-certified meals, with all meat slaughtered in response to Islamic legislation, and alcohol is strictly prohibited.
Halal Tour Packages: These packages are designed round Islamic themes, together with visits to mosques, Islamic monuments, and occasions throughout Ramadan.
Halal Finance: Monetary operations within the tourism sector should adjust to Islamic ideas, which advocate for revenue and loss sharing and prohibit curiosity.
The Ministry goals to place Malaysia as a regional ‘Umrah Hub,’ enhancing the journey expertise for Muslim vacationers from areas together with China, by providing numerous sights together with their Umrah pilgrimage. This initiative coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of China-Malaysia diplomatic ties, marked by a particular Familiarization Journey for 36 Imams, underlining the cultural alternate and mutual appreciation between the 2 nations.
As 2024 unfolds, collaboration between the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) and the Malaysian Inbound Chinese language Affiliation (MICA) is predicted to foster additional trade partnerships, capitalizing on the rising Muslim tourism market. This collective effort is geared in the direction of a affluent and profitable 2024, contributing considerably to the tourism sector’s restoration.
Right here’s a breakdown of generally used phrases:
Muslim Tourism: Muslims touring primarily for tourism.
Halal-conscious Vacationers: Muslim vacationers searching for to fulfill their faith-based wants with out compromise.
Penang has not too long ago initiated the Muslim-Pleasant Tourism and Hospitality (MFTH) program to teach and combine Muslim-friendly practices into native companies comparable to lodging, spas, and journey companies.
Responding to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s name for enhanced concentrate on Muslim-Pleasant Tourism, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Tradition (MOTAC), via the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC), has launched an formidable technique to draw Muslim vacationers, backed by a RM350 million funds in 2024 as a part of broader tourism restoration initiatives.
In a separate however associated context, the Hajj pilgrimage, commencing on June 14, 2024, anticipates over 1.5 million international pilgrims, approaching pre-pandemic ranges. Saudi Arabia continues to develop its tourism choices past spiritual visits, with the 2023 pilgrimages drawing substantial worldwide vacationer numbers, indicating strong development in its spiritual tourism sector.
The speedy tempo of globalization, pushed by developments in communication and knowledge expertise, has considerably influenced numerous sectors, together with tourism. Notably, the event of halal tourism has emerged as a big development value monitoring. Any such tourism caters particularly to Muslim vacationers by adhering to Islamic ideas all through all facets of the journey expertise, from meals and lodging to actions.
Client surveys reveal a rising sensitivity amongst Muslim customers in the direction of making certain that services are free from practices forbidden in Islam. This shift has heightened the demand for halal-certified items and companies not solely in predominantly Muslim international locations or these a part of the Group of Islamic Cooperation but in addition in non-member states like Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. These international locations have been acknowledged by the World Muslim Journey Index (GMTI) for his or her efforts in accommodating Muslim vacationers, making them in style locations inside the halal tourism market.
Residents of GCC international locations, together with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE, can now go to and keep in Malaysia for as much as 90 days for tourism or enterprise functions. This visa-free coverage for GCC nations enhances Malaysia’s attraction as a vacation spot for worldwide tourism and enterprise journey.
Nations comparable to Singapore and Thailand, members of the ASEAN Financial Neighborhood, have successfully capitalized on this development, attracting Muslim vacationers from close by nations comparable to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. The UK, with its historic ties to varied Muslim-majority areas throughout its colonial previous, additionally stays a popular vacation spot for vacationers from Commonwealth international locations.
Singapore is additional increasing its tourism choices to incorporate not solely halal companies but in addition MICE (Conferences, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) and cruise markets.
Malaysia has solidified its standing as the popular vacation spot for Muslim vacationers, main the sector due to its Halal-friendly atmosphere, gorgeous seashores, vibrant tradition, and distinctive buying. The Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) revealed that in 2023, Malaysia attracted over 4.5 million Muslim worldwide guests, sustaining its high rating for the ninth consecutive 12 months within the Mastercard-Crescentrating World Muslim Journey Index (GMTI) 2024, launched on Thursday (Might 30).
Wanting forward, the Asia Islamic Tourism & Commerce Expo (AITEX 2024) is scheduled to happen in Kuala Lumpur from August twenty third to twenty fifth, 2024. This main occasion, which might be held on the prestigious Sunway Resort Resort, goals to spotlight the most recent in Islamic finance, tourism, and commerce. The Shariah Finance Expo, a key part of AITEX, will collect trade leaders and consultants to debate improvements and alternatives in Islamic finance.
By way of international journey, whereas Japan and Singapore boast the strongest passports in 2021 in response to the Henley Passport Index, with Malaysia at thirteenth, the huge Muslim-majority Indonesia provides quite a few tranquil spots for reflection, from mall prayer rooms to native mosques. Malaysia, an early adopter of Islamic tourism, continues to boost facilities for Muslim households. The UAE presents what could possibly be the closest expertise to a halal Michelin-star eating. In the meantime, Saudi Arabia, the epicenter of Islam, welcomes scores of Muslim vacationers, notably within the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, the place guests can revere at websites just like the Kaaba and the mosques of Masjid Al Haram and Masjid Al Nabawi.
Surprisingly, regardless of its small Muslim demographic, Japan ranks sixth amongst non-OIC nations on the GMTI 2023 checklist, reflecting its vital dedication to accommodating Islamic vacationers with prayer areas, halal-certified eateries, and excursions in cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto.
This 12 months alone, worldwide arrivals of Muslim vacationers are projected to hit 168 million, which might exceed pre-pandemic figures by as a lot as 5 %. The halal tourism sector is projected to develop considerably, with an estimated enhance to $300 billion by 2026.
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