THE World Islamic Tourism Conference returns for its third edition this year at the World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur.
The conference will take place from today until Wednesday (October 19), with the theme of Islamic Tourism: Inspiring Balance, Transformations and Solutions. It will emphasise the socio-economic benefits of tapping into the Muslim tourist market.
About 300 delegates alongside an international and local line-up of 40 speakers and moderators are expected to attend the conference.
In her opening address, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Nancy Shukri, said “the demand for Muslim-friendly tourism products and services to satisfy their leisure, business, spiritual and healthcare travel needs gives impetus to develop the tourism supply chain across all sectors.”
She explained that the Islamic tourism ecosystem is intricately connected with other tourism segments and major economic sectors.
So, the growth and development of the Muslim tourist market would sustain sectors such as banking, finance and insurance through payment gateways, digital wallets, and travel insurance products for the needs of this market.
She also noted the potential demand ensuing from the rise of this tourist market. They include Muslimah fashion and activewear, cosmetics, green technology, Muslim-friendly media, digital entertainment and recreation, and halal pharmaceuticals, medical and wellness products and services.
These efforts are in line with key strategies outlined in the latest Malaysia’s National Tourism Policy (NTP) 2020-2030 towards developing Islamic tourism in the country.
ITC director-general Dr Mohmed Razip Hasan said “one of the things that we have been observing and tracking is the growth of the Muslim tourist market.
"Malaysia has been seeing a healthy rise until 2019 before the pandemic broke. It contributed approximately 20% share to Malaysia’s tourist arrivals and tourist receipts.
“It is a key market to look into and one of the reasons is because they are geographically well distributed in Southeast Asia and Europe, not just the Middle East.
"You can say it is a global tourist market, protected from location-specific disruptions.”
Hasan said that the tourism market has changed since the pandemic. Bringing the top minds of the industry together will allow for the free exchange of ideas, networking opportunities and enhance strategies.
“As we move into the tourism recovery phase now, it is critical for destinations and tourism industry players to gain their footing in the market and make a big push forward. But the tourism scenario now is different than before the pandemic.”
He believed the world is faced with new tourism preferences, improved technology, a changing workforce and working trends, climate issues and more.
"Industry players need the knowledge and a different way of thinking to thrive in this post-pandemic environment. The WITC conference will bring together some of the best minds from various industry backgrounds to weigh in on the matter.”
Hasan added, “more importantly, Islamic Tourism strives to bring new perspectives which promote a healthy human development index (HDI)."
This is made up of excellent healthcare, education and a decent standard of living, and a focus on ESG (environmental, social, and governance).
He said this can be achieved "through best practices within the supply chains in the tourism, travel and hospitality segment.”
The conference will also include an exhibition that will showcase 80 tourism businesses, products and services.
It will be an opportunity for the various delegates to connect and collaborate.
At its launch today, ITC also signed an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with Matta and TUI International Holiday Sdn Bhd to support the government’s inbound tourism programmes. Nancy was present to witness the signing.
The collaboration aims to further strengthen and develop Malaysia’s Islamic Tourism attractions, services and hospitality. This will be done through intelligence sharing and exchanges, research, and development (R&D) on Muslim social, culture and heritage tourism products.
It will also include training and capacity-building activities. – The Vibes, October 17, 2022
