Muslim Friendly Tourism:
Developing and Marketing MFT Products and Services
In the OIC Member Countries
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International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) and the World Halal Conference (WHC) which
contribute to enhancing its image as a major player in the MFT market. 146
The Malaysian hotel PNB Perdana on the Park utilizes several promotional tools including
print publications especially travel magazines in the Middle East but their main focus is on
digital tools specifically social media as it enables them to get their message to a more larger
and more diverse audience in comparison to traditional media. It also allows them to have
more direct communication with customers enabling them to build more personal
relationships.
Indonesia launched in 2015 an interactive visitor guide titled “Many lands, Timeless culture,
One journey” in both English and Arabic as part of a campaign to attract Muslim travelers. The
guide provides information about Indonesia’s attractions and Halal dining options as well as
mosques around the country. The guide was made available to travel agents and a
downloadable version was widely published online. 147 The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism
organized a familiarization trip for Saudi tourism operators in January 2016 followed by one
for Egyptian tourism operators in March to visit its main tourism areas.148 The Ministry of
Tourism developed a campaign with three celebrity bloggers who were invited to Indonesia
with their families and posted their adventures on HalalTrip’s website.149
Saudi Arabia has a plan to start promoting itself as a tourism destination. Its newly unveiled
“Vision 2030” includes issuing tourist visas and improving Islamic historical and heritage
sites. The plan includes establishing a number of museums to attract travelers including the
world’s largest Islamic museum which will provide an “immersive journey” that encompasses
the history of Islamic civilization including Muslim scientific and cultural contributions.150
3.6 The Role of the Government in Developing the MFT Sector
OIC Governments have supported to varying degrees the development of the MFT sector.
Their efforts included those aimed at raising awareness among tourism products and services
providers of the MFT market potential and Muslim consumer needs, supporting providers in
developing and certification of MFT products and services, and engaging in destination
marketing.
1. Raising Awareness
A number of OIC official tourism agencies bodies have engaged in raising awareness of the
MFT market potential and Muslim traveler expectation and needs. The following examples
show a variety of government initiatives in this area;
 Recognizing the potential of the MFT market, Malaysia created the Islamic Tourism
Centre (ITC) in 2009 as advisory entity on MFT to other government bodies. The ITC
mandate includes conducting research and delivering training courses as well as
organizing workshops and seminars and publishing materials on sustainable tourism
practices in the MFT sector. The ITC’s Islamic Tourism Masterclass is a capacity
146 “Malaysia the World’s Leading Halal Hub.” Islamic Tourism Centre Malaysia. Web.
147 “Indonesia Launches New Visitor Guide for Muslim Tourists” HalalTrip. 9 Dec. 2015. Web.
148 “Tourism Ministry Preparing Trip Program for Egyptian Tourism Operators.” Antara News. 30 Mar. 2016. Web.
149 Please refer to Indonesia’s case study for further information.
150 “Full text of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.” Al Arabiya English. 9 May 2016. Web.