Halal or Islamic tourism is a lucrative sector that is still largely untapped. Thus, Malaysia aims to continue being the leading destination for tourists from this sector, said Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik.
Last year, Malaysia managed to attract 5.3 million Muslim tourists out of a total 26 million tourist arrivals.
Muhammad Bakhtiar said that halal tourism represented 11.6% of global tourism expenditure and is estimated to be worth US$238bil (RM984bil) by 2019.
Malaysia is not the only country trying to tap into this lucrative market; Japan and South Korea are also ramping up their offerings for Muslim tourists, said Bakhtiar.
Malaysia, he added, is the top choice for Muslim tourists, especially those from Middle Eastern countries, due to the country’s Muslim-friendly tourism facilities and offerings such as the wide availability of halal food.
