Successful event: Dr Ng launching the WITM-MITE 2013 in Putrajaya. Also present are (from left) WITM-MITE 2013 chairman Razali Mohd Sham, Tourism Malaysia deputy director-general Datuk Azizan Noordin, Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau chief executive officer Zulkefli Sharif and Mohd Khalid.

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia is the best place for Muslims around the world to come for a holiday, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said.

“We are proud to say Malaysia is a world leader in catering to the needs of Muslim tourists.

“We are successful in this niche travel market, thanks to our facilities and the diverse holiday packages tailored to Muslim needs.

“These include packages offering Ramadan bazaars, Quran recitals and circumcision packages carried out together with homestay programmes,” she said at a press conference here yesterday.

The media event was to announce the World Islamic Tourism Mart Malaysia International Tourism Exchange (WITM-MITE 2013) that will be held at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur from June 6 to June 9.

Present were Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Datuk Mohd Khalid Harun and My Events International group chief executive officer Shahul Hameed Shaik Dawood, representing the organisers.

Dr Ng quoted a recent report by Singapore-based Muslim travel consultancy group Crescentrating that rated Malaysia as the world's top Muslim-friendly holiday destination.

The survey put Malaysia ahead of Egypt, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Singapore.

The study ranked countries on how well they cater to the growing number of Muslim holidaymakers seeking halal food and services.

It used criteria that included the level of safety in a country, the ease of access to halal food and prayer facilities, and whether hotels cater to the needs of Muslim guests.

On a scale of one to 10, Malaysia came up tops with a grade of 8.3 among 50 nations surveyed.

The survey, released last month, reported that Malaysia is one of the few countries where a traveller can find a prayer place in almost every location be it a shopping mall or the airport.

The study also reported that spending by Muslim tourists is growing faster than the global rate and is forecast to reach US$192bil (RM672bil) a year by 2020, up from US$126bil (RM441bil) in 2011.

Dr Ng said about 21.7% of tourist arrivals in Malaysia, or 5.44 million, had originated from Muslim countries.

“Muslims make up about 1.6 billion of the world population and they are now world travellers,” she said.

On the WITM-MITE 2013 event, Dr Ng said it was expected to draw some 20,000 visitors.

She said participants from at least 25 countries had registered for the event.

Dr Ng also launched the tourism calendar of events and festivals for 2013-2014, which can be downloaded from the websites of the ministry and Tourism Malaysia.

The print version of the calendar is available at all Tourism Malaysia offices and tourist information centres nationwide.

• IHH Healthcare earnings up 3.6% to RM127.27m
• Petronas Dagangan Q1 earnings down 3.7% to RM237m
• Japan's tumble drags key regional, European markets lower (Update)
• KUB in JV with Singapore's Hiap Seng for Petronas project
• TDM to plant 5,000ha of new trees every year in Kalimantan
• KLCI falls to low of 1,765, rattled by Japan, HK
• Japan stocks crash on volatile bonds, weak China data; Nikkei ends down 7.3%
• MISC posts RM300m net profit in Q1, sees challenging year ahead (Update)
• KL Kepong slips to low of RM21.36 as quarterly profit drops
• Maybank's Q1 earnings up 11.8% to RM1.506b (Update)
• Lafarge Cement positive on markets, mulls expanding capacity
• Dayang Enterprise awards RM705m contract to Perdana Petroleum
• KLCI pauses, Japan, Hong Kong key indices slide (Update)
• ECM Libra plans to exit PN17 by year-end
• China HSBC flash PMI hits 7-mth low, fans growth fears

• Ranger, militant killed in Thai south shootout
• Japan man, 80, scales Everest, sets record
• Philippines vows to defend territory against China
• S. Korean girl killed by suicide jumper
• Ecuador warns satellite could hit rocket remains
• Short-story writer Davis wins Booker International Prize
• Two babies among US tornado victims
• Anti-Islamist protests flare following London attack
• 'British solider' butchered in suspected Islamist attack (Updated)

• Rugby: Former All Black coach Henry on misconduct charge
• Ice queen Nicol into British Open quarters
• Australia to consider following ban on anchor putters
• Intxausti wins 16th stage, Nibali still keeps pink jersey
• Indonesia drawn to meet China again – in knockout stage
• Results worldwide
• Malacca sprinter Mohd Azam Masri out to create history by winning five events in MSSM meet
• Athletics runs in the veins of Vallabouy family
• Chinese long jumper Jinzhe claims another Olympic scalp
• Dane Jorgensen’s wish is to avoid Chinese ace Lin Dan in World Championships
• National badminton team’s lack of depth a glaring factor in home tourney
• Khim Wah-V Shem perform above expectations in Sudirman Cup debut
• Jindapon aims to qualify for 2016 Olympics
• Kenichi’s goal is to take Japan into Sudirman Cup semi-finals
• Dong-keun shows he’s a capable replacement

• Please wait.

• Actress’ barking pet saves her from attacker in late night incident
• Colleges challenge new conditions set by registrar
• Tian Chua, Haris Ibrahim, Tamrin Ghafar to spend the night in lockup (Update)
• Transport Ministry reveals new FT registration plate to start with W1A
• What comes after WYY?
• In China, food scares put Mao's self-sufficiency goal at risk
• Verdict ends three years of restlessness for family, says Sosilawati's daughter
• All four accused guilty in murder of Sosilawati Lawiya and three others (Update)
• Chromebook to help rural pupils leapfrog into parity with urban peers
• Astro and Maxis to deliver new-age TV service in Klang Valley