Muslim Friendly Tourism:
Developing and Marketing MFT Products and Services
In the OIC Member Countries
90
By maintaining a good relationship with local tour operators, IAMM is able to secure group
visits through group discounts. IAMM work with tour guides in providing them training with
regard to the museum facilities226 . Some tourist groups speak languages other than the
commonly spoken English, Bahasa Malay and Arabic. For these reasons, the training helps
tour guides in conveying the facilities of the museum to various tourist groups, as well as
bringing traffic into the museum.
KPJ Healthcare promote their products and services to their target market of Africa via a close
working relationship with local clinics and doctors in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya.
Others
PNB Perdana on the Park look at other distribution channels such as sales calls, visiting
neighboring countries, participating in travel fairs both local and international227 .
They also visit events such as the Malaysian International Halal Showcase (MIHAS). Even
though the event focuses on manufactured goods and services, it also provides a good
learning exercise on how PNB Perdana on the Park can enhance their product offerings.
8. Pricing
There is no difference between the pricing of conventional travel and MFT.
In the case of PNB Perdana on the Park, the hotel prices its rooms according to tactical tourist
seasons such as the Arab Season which takes place during the three month summer break in
the Middle East. During this time Arab families travel to Malaysia in numbers between five to
ten persons and are interested in visiting family-friendly attractions such as shopping malls
and theme parks.
PNB Perdana on the Park highlights that prices are competitive, especially with the current
economic situation in Malaysia. They do a lot of research on how other hotels, both MFT and
conventional market themselves as well as on their pricing to ensure they stay competitive.
Even though PNB Perdana on the Park’s products are priced higher than the competition, they
provide value-added services e.g. room upgrades and suites that help them stand out from the
competition.
Non-Muslims travelers utilizing such MFT services are aware of the services provided
beforehand and in the case of hotels, some prefer to stay at Muslim-friendly hotels due to
their comfort and family-friendly environment.
9. Challenges
 MFT is a booming market not just within Muslim majority markets but other markets
as well. Zaid Jamaludin228 mentions that there has been an interest from Japan, South
Korea, Sri Lanka and even Balkan countries like Croatia in terms of stepping up their
offerings for MFT as well as contacting PNB Perdana on the Park to emulate their
model. As such, one of the challenges faced by current MFT businesses is the rise in
226 Interview with Abdul Wahid Ibat, March 2016.
227 Interview with Zaid Jamaluddin, March 2016.
228 Interview with Zaid Jamaluddin, March 2016.