Malaysia is taking a larger role in shaping how destinations cater to Muslim travellers by extending its tourism standards beyond Southeast Asia through a new partnership with Russia.
The collaboration between the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) and Russia’s halal assurance body, RusQuality (Roskachestvo), displays the growing international interest in Muslim-friendly tourism as a driver of economic growth and visitor confidence.
On May 14, the collaboration was formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Mutual Recognition (MOMR) during the 17th International Islamic Forum Russia-Islamic World: KazanForum in Tatarstan, Russia. The agreement aims to align tourism and hospitality standards between both countries while enabling reciprocal recognition of official branding and guidelines.
For Malaysia, the move reflects a broader effort to export expertise developed through its Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition (MFAR) framework, which is widely regarded as one of the country’s soft-power strengths in tourism.
Rather than focusing solely on religious requirements, Muslim-friendly tourism increasingly centres on practical elements such as cleanliness, safety, family-oriented facilities and traveller convenience. These are the qualities that appeal to a broader market beyond Muslim visitors.
Islamic Tourism Centre Director-General Mohammad Faisal Abu Suaib Khan said the partnership represented a significant milestone in expanding the global footprint of Malaysia’s tourism standards and the MFAR programme.
“When Malaysia initially developed MFAR, our goal was to create a sense of home and peace of mind for Muslim travellers, no matter where they landed,” he said.
The collaboration also reflects the growing commercial importance of Muslim-friendly travel. With the global Muslim tourism market estimated at US$235 billion, harmonised standards could simplify business cooperation, strengthen tourism flows, and improve destination readiness.
Russia, through RusQuality, has also been expanding its halal ecosystem. The partnership is expected to strengthen its positioning as a Muslim-friendly destination.
According to Head of ANO Russian Quality System/RusQuality, Maxim Aleksandrovich Protasov, the collaboration demonstrates confidence in Malaysia’s MFAR framework as a global standard for Muslim-friendly travel.
He stated: “Aligning standards with Malaysia reinforces confidence in Russia’s tourism offerings while helping industry players tap into growing demand.”
During the KazanForum, Faisal highlighted that, beyond Russia, Malaysia is positioning itself as a knowledge partner for countries seeking to strengthen Muslim-friendly tourism, and that the Islamic Tourism Centre is prepared to support international destinations through standards development, training, and research.
