Muslim Friendly Tourism (MFT):
Understanding the Supply and Demand Sides
In the OIC Member Countries
70
1. OIC lanes at immigration for OIC passport holders instead of having to queue up under
the foreigner section.
2. Special promotions for example hotel or airline that can offer the private sector from the
OIC member countries to visit member countries.
3. One-day conference or seminar examining how OIC can contribute to encourage travel
within member countries.
SWOT Analysis for Malaysia MFT
The Table 20 provides a SWOT analysis of Malaysia MFT.
Table 20: SWOT Analysis of Malaysia for MFT
Strength Weakness
Visa free travel extended to a number of
nationalities
Limited, recreational facilities and swimming
pools for men and women
Water friendly washroom facilities Tourist concentrated on 2 or 3 cities, Kuala
Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi
MFT education program. Constant training on the
principles and practices.
Low- keyed advertising for dominant Islamic
places such as Kedah and Kelantan
Availability of prayer facilities at tourist spots and
public premises (hospitals, offices, R&R, shopping
malls, theme parks, offices)
“Aged” of the Malaysian tourism products
Access to a wide variety of halal food for Muslim
tourists (including fast food outlets)
Malaysian hotels’ services for Muslim tourists
(ability to cater to the needs of the Muslim tourist)
Malaysia’s stability and safety
Availability of Muslim-friendly travel packages
including those of seasonal festivities e.g.
Ramadan, Eid-ul Fitr
Muslim-friendly healthcare facilities throughout
the country
Rich Islamic artefacts around the country
including mosques, Islamic architectural, and
museums of Islamic art
Islamic funding and financing.
Opportunities Threats
Become a success story for other OIC countries to
draw example
Competition from Islamic countries such
Indonesia, non-OIC countries
Branding and positioning Malaysia in MFT Other threats are mainly macroeconomic
threats and not directly related to MFT
Development of new MFT products
Providing educational facilities for other OIC
Islamic countries
Enhancing potential travelers’ awareness about
Islamic offerings of Malaysia through media and
travel agents
Highlighting Islamic-based attractions such as the
Pasar Siti Khadijah (Kota Bharu, Kelantan) and the
Islamic Museum in Kelantan (Muzium Islam), and
the Islamic Civilization Park in Terengganu