ASEAN COMMUNITY OF ENTREPRENEURS
COVER STORY
A
s the Muslim travel market
becomes
a
growing
force worldwide, ASEAN
countries are developing
new strategic directions in
a bid to wrestle a bigger piece of the
lucrative halal tourism pie.
This fast-growing sector is
projected to grow to 150 million
visitors comprising 11% of the global
travel economy with an expenditure
of US$200 billion by 2020, according
to a 2015 study by Singapore-based
CrescentRating.
Halal tourism is being recognised
as “an opportunity market” for the
Philippines, as its sizable Muslim
population as well as increasing visitor
arrivals from the Middle East, Indonesia,
Malaysia and Singapore in recent years
place it in a good position to attract
more Muslim travellers, according to
the Philippine Department of Tourism’s
(DoT) assistant secretary (tourism
regulation, coordination and resource
generation) Arturo P Boncato Jr.
The DoT has joined hands with
the National Commission on Muslim
Filipinos to launch the Philippines Halal
Tourism Project last year to improve
halal facilities in the country. “We
are targeting at least 50
halal certified establishments
in the four major regions
(Manila, Cebu, Boracay
and Davao) in time
for Madrid Fusion
Manila in April,”
commented
Boncato.
S i m i l a r l y,
Indonesia
is
positioning
Lombok in West
Nusa Tenggara
(NTB)
as
a
Muslim-friendly
destination after the Muslim-majority
island was recognised as the world’s
top halal tourism and honeymoon
destination at the 2015 World Halal
Travel Summit in Dubai.
“The awards will sharpen
Lombok’s position especially in
(attracting) travellers from the Middle
East and other Muslim countries,” said
Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism Arief
Yahya. Aceh and West Sumatra will
be touted as a role model for Muslimfriendly destinations in Indonesia.
The move will expand Lombok’s
visitor source markets to Muslim
t r a vellers, commented Aw a n
Aswinabawa, advisor to the Association
of the Indonesian Tours and Travel
Agencies NTB chapter.
“We have been getting inquiries
from travellers from the neighbouring
Halal Tourism
Gets Wider
Push in
Southeast Asia
XINYI LIANG-PHOLSENA AND MIMI HUDOYO
22
countries as well as the growing
domestic market whether we have
halal facilities such as restaurants and
hotels,” he said. “Lombok naturally has
Muslim-friendly products although not
all are certified halal, so we just need to
improve and highlight what we have.”
Furthermore, a halal branding
will also distinguish Lombok from
neighbouring Bali’s Hindu-influenced
culture or East Nusa Tenggara’s
Christian-dominated
culture,
he opined.
Hasiyanna Ashadi, president
director of Marintur Indonesia, said:
“It is up to the destination how far
they want to apply the label, but as
a tour operator, we welcome more
halal facilities to widen the choices for
travellers. Even Aceh, whose rule is
based on the Syariah law, has eased
some of the rules for non-Muslim
travellers.”
Awan, however, reminded the
government to balance the halal
branding and not intimidate the other
markets which have been enjoying Bali.
“We do not want (non-halal) markets
to think that we limit ourselves to the
Muslim travellers only and apply rigid
(Sharia law) in the destination,”
he explained.
ASEAN COMMUNITY OF ENTREPRENEURS | ISSUE 2 : 2016
Within Southeast Asia – with
the exception of Myanmar
and Laos – all other
countries
already
have
their
own
halal
certification
and logo, stated
Nirwan
Noh,
undersecretary
for
industry
development
at
Malaysia’s
Ministry
of
To u r i s m
and
Culture.