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Cover Story
@ Halal | May-June . 2021
Aiming
to build resilience ITC committed to good business practices among industry partners
BY CAMILIA REZALI
THE inbound and outbound tourism industry has long been one of the main economic activities and an essential source of foreign exchange earnings , economic growth and employment . As 10 per cent of the world ’ s GDP is being generated in this sector , tourism development has been given much attention in the national development strategies of many countries , including the members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation ( OIC ).
Today , countries with a dominant Muslim population play a more prominent role in the travel industry as more and more people are enticed by the growing potential of ‘ Halal tourism ’.
To note , Malaysia , the United Arab Emirates , Indonesia and Turkey are among the leading Muslim destinations . Other countries such as Vietnam , Singapore , Thailand and the United Kingdom are among the top non-Islamic or OIC destinations .
Muslim-friendly tourism market was initially fashioned to give the Muslim and Non-Muslim travellers a diverse choice of travel destination . The concept of halal in travel as we know is nothing religious . Instead , it is now seen as a lifestyle - pursuing a modest life .
Becoming a Muslim-Friendly tourism destination means providing places to pray , serving halal meal options , and even having Muslim-friendly amenities such as segregated pools and spas for women .
The conventional travel and tourism sector has gained awareness of the business potential of the Muslim spend . Business sectors such as airlines , hotels , restaurants , and even banks are giving extended services for the Muslims to further contribute to the growth of the Muslim travel market .
The Covid-19 pandemic caused a considerable downturn in the global tourism industry