Alhamdulillah. We are now in the new year 2025. Travel patterns are dynamic yet sensitive to changes and improvements in travel formalities, trade and financial policies, political scenarios, environmental, social, and cultural protocols, technologies, governance, and consumer behaviours, among others.
Despite that, Muslim travel space continues to expand globally as awareness is enhanced. Today, the Muslim travel market has progressed significantly from merely a segment to a recognised global force. Such positioning has led to the enrichment of contents of the travel itineraries and tour packages.
Fellow – BUDI of Islamic Science University of Malaysia (USIM)
In the initial stage, the Muslim-friendly tourism attention was on faith-based needs travel requirements. However, it has now expanded beyond that by enriching the segment on the needs for standards, sustainability, governance, contemporary travel needs, technology and destinations’ global responsibility. Again, all these must not contravene Islamic values and norms.
TRAVEL INCLUSIVENESS ECOSYSTEM
Exclusiveness is making people feel valued and respected as human beings. In other words, we strive for quality by including all types of people and treating them fairly, equally and with dignity.
Islamic tourism is an ecosystem that provides an opportunity for Muslim and non-Muslim travellers to experience travel and visit places of interest that are peculiar to Islamic heritages, arts, traditions, education, lifestyle, architecture, gastronomy, and hospitality.
Those attractions and uniqueness may be situated in Muslim countries and non-Muslim countries, especially in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania due to historical reasons and geopolitics. Islamic tourism may be categorised into Muslim-friendly tourism, Halal tourism, and Ziyarah tourism, depending on the market segments, preferences, and strategies of the destinations.
The details on how to design the Islamic tour itineraries rely on the knowledge, experience, the local settings and views of the scholars and the government formalities of a particular destination. Obviously, when someone travels in the context of Islamic tourism, they or the group must observe, respect and be mindful of the sensitivities of the faith and local communities.
For Muslim tourists, the availability of certified halal foods, supplies, infrastructures, and services is essential. Islamic tourism advocates quality, fairness, justice, tolerance, respect, and harmony.
CAMBODIA MUSLIM-FRIENDLY TOURISM FORUM 2024
As the interest of Muslim travellers from OIC and non-OIC countries increases, a destination requires dedicated segmentation and strategies to attract them. The majority of destinations have started to do so, and one of them is the Kingdom of Cambodia.
I visited Phnom Penh on Dec 18 to attend the First Cambodia Muslim-Friendly Tourism Forum organised by the Ministry of Tourism Cambodia as a speaker in my capacity as a Fellow BUDI of Islamic Science University of Malaysia (USIM). It is interesting to learn that Cambodia is seriously embarking on Muslim-Friendly Tourism (MFT) and being part of its national tourism plan.
The forum was officiated by Minister of Tourism Huot Hak, who earnestly advocated the importance of this segment in positioning Cambodia as a preferred tourist destination among Muslim travellers from ASEAN and West Asia. They want to learn more about Malaysia being the top global Muslim-Friendly destination. It has various tourism products that appeal to Muslim travellers alike.
MELAKA AS MARITIME TOURISM HUB
Prior to the Cambodia event, on Nov 4, I attended the Melaka International Maritime Economy Conference (MIMEC) as a panel speaker. It was organised by Institute Tun Perak, Melaka. I spoke about the potential of Melaka as a Muslim-friendly destination, particularly as a hub for maritime tourism.
SUSTAINABILITY
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) have become among the top agenda of destinations. Tourism is an integrated industry covering various sectors, including transportation, natural and artificial attractions, arts and culture and intricate supply chains. Thus, it is subject to policy and standards compliance, certification, and quality checks.
Hence, there is an increasing demand among service providers to secure standards and certification in halal / Muslim-friendly tourism. Recently, certification bodies have certified convention centres, cruise ships, and other travel-related infrastructures and services as Muslim-friendly.
ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE (ESG)
Of late, ESG has gathered significant attention from investors and corporate and business entities, including those operating in the tourism circle. The question is, what makes ESG and how important is it to tourism, especially in Islamic tourism?
To refresh, I attended a masterclass training on ESG Coaching and Mentoring recently organised by the local training firm Shaker Associates. It was insightful, educational, and recommended. Five important takeaways from the class are on the level of awareness, integration & implementation of ESG among leaders and companies. More interestingly was how coaching and mentoring play essential roles in embedding ESG principles within an organisation.
ESG covers the criteria for a business’s impact and reliance on the environment (E), social aspects (S), and governance (G). They are not Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
In the context of Islamic tourism, these elements of ESG have already been part and partial of its structure and development. It promotes care of nature, community, and integrity & best practices. The outcome is beyond revenues and profits.
Apart from measuring and reporting ESG, the leaders’ understanding of ESG is an important strategy by itself for sustainability and relevance in the business. Both leaders and employees must have a clear mindset and emotional intelligence when adopting ESG as an integrated tool for business fitness and reliance.
There’s a need to change the unfair profiling against Muslims and Islamophobia, ethically and professionally. Destinations must have clear and positive perceptions towards Muslim travellers. The two billion Muslims worldwide include affluent groups, professionals, business leaders, and tourists.
These segments represent a significant high-yield market share. They are a combination of new and experienced tourists with high disposable income.
We hope the Muslim travel industry continues to grow strongly as a vital component of the Islamic economy and go along well with the global Halal industry. Insha’Allah,
Before I pen off, may I have this opportunity to wish all Muslim readers Ramadan Kareem, and may this Ramadhan be the best practice and deed, Insha’Allah. I beg your forgiveness.
