Chapter 8: Muslim-friendly Tourism

Muslim-friendly tourism caters to the faith-based needs of Muslim travellers. Muslim-friendly tourism provides a softer alternative to ‘Islamic tourism’ or ‘Shariah-compliant tourism’. Malaysia is a leading destination in this sector, and it has consistently ranked top in the Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI), besides being the Most Muslim Woman-friendly Destination. As a halal hub, the country attracts Arabs and Muslim Chinese from afar. It has the potential to appeal to travellers from Central Asia too. The Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) supports the industry; it offers guidance, recognition, and capacity-building programmes, thereby enabling businesses to serve Muslim travellers without the need to make any major structural changes while complementing and not replacing full Shariah compliance standards. Under the Muslim-friendly Tourism and Hospitality (MFTH) framework, the ITC has also created a few initiatives like the Muslim-friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition (MFAR) training programme, the Muslim-friendly Tourist Guides (MFTG) certification, and the Muslim-friendly Accommodation Recognition (MAR). International Muslim visitors often rely on formal halal 
certification as proof of authenticity, and this highlights the importance for business operators to obtain the certification. Products such as halal food, halal-compliant services, Islamic heritage sites, pondokstay, and mosque tourism are gaining popularity. However, high certification costs limit the participation of MSMEs. One way to enhance our domestic and international market would be the collaboration of agencies such as Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (MOTAC), ITC, Tourism Malaysia, and the Halal Development Corporation (HDC).