PETALING JAYA: The nation's tourism sector needs to prepare to capitalise on the estimated RM1 trillion expenditure by Muslim tourists over the next four years, says Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan.
"With the Muslim tourist market becoming a strong force in global tourism and the Islamic economy, especially with the Muslim population worldwide reaching two billion last year, the demand for Muslim-friendly products and services is growing," the Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister said during the media launch for the upcoming 4th World Islamic Tourism Conference (WITC) on Thursday (July 18).
The WITC will be held from September 12 to 13 at Sunway Resort Hotel.
He mentioned that Malaysia led the way in developing standards and service recognition programs tailored for the Muslim market, including the Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition (MFAR) and Muslim-Friendly Tourist Guide (MFTG) programs.
He said that WITC could help introduce potential investors to the nation's expansion plans, such as the Umrah Transit Hub initiative.
Khairul Firdaus said that Islamic tourism is inclusive.
"It provides Muslims with Muslim Friendly Tourism Hospitality (MFTH) options to make their travel experiences more comfortable," he said.
He added that MFTH practices can be adopted by anyone in the tourism industry and could benefit Muslim and non-Muslim tourists.
Meanwhile, Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) director-general Nizran Noordin said that about 20% of the international tourists the country receives annually are Muslim.
"For the past nine consecutive years, we have been the number one spot in the Mastercard-Crescent Rating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) ranking for Muslim-friendly destinations," he said when met after the event.
He noted that since its inception in 2009, the ITC has developed several standards and recognition programmes to assist those in the tourism industry in standardising and better promoting their products to Muslim tourists.
It is estimated that global Muslim tourist arrivals are expected to reach about 230 million in 2028, with expenditures hitting RM1 trillion.
