Islamic Tourism Centre director-general Nizran Noordin.
PETALING JAYA: The Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC), an entity under the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (Motac), has called for more private establishments to jump on the bandwagon towards transforming Malaysia into an Umrah Transit Hub.
Its director-general Nizran Noordin said progress is being made and several private establishments have shown interest in supporting the goal.
He suggested private parties consider channelling marketing efforts towards a particular group of people – in this case the Muslim population.
Nizran added that at the moment, plans to turn Malaysia into an Umrah Transit Hub are still at a negotiation stage at the government-to-government level.
“What I can say is this road to create Malaysia as an Umrah Transit Hub is a very interesting work-in-progress and the opportunities are abundant.
“I believe the only way we can help our local agents (within the umrah and halal industry) to do more business is actually to inject or to pull from new markets, hence why the plan was developed,” he said after the launch of the fourth World Islamic Tourism Conference (WITC) 2024 here yesterday.
Nizran said the ITC hopes not only will this goal help smoothen the journey of pilgrims to complete their umrah, but also help spur the local economy with more local attractions being promoted.
Inaugurating the fourth WITC 2024, Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Khairul Firdaus Akhbar Khan said the government remains determined to keep raising the bar for Muslim-friendly tourism and hospitality (MFTH) initiatives.
He said the Islamic tourism sector and the Muslim tourist market presented boundless opportunities.
“This market is not just a potential but a powerful testament to the evolving landscape of tourism.
“Malaysia’s established MFTH ecosystem and its position as a premier destination for Muslims highlight the massive socioeconomic impact of the Muslim tourist market and the expansive Muslim-friendly ecosystem globally,” he said during a keynote address.
The global Muslim tourism market is projected to be worth US$225bil by 2028 and is expected to increase significantly with global arrivals reaching about 168 million in 2024, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 5%.
On that note, Khairul highlighted the importance of MFTH which he said “can foster a new standard in tourism where people travel respectfully and mindfully”.
“I urge all of you to contribute actively to the future of Islamic tourism, focusing on positive change and the preservation of destination values.
“In a world where tolerance is eroding, societal stability is costly and peace is hardly realised. I hope that the advancement and investment in Islamic tourism will be part of the solution to heal the world and make it a better place for us and future generations,” he added.
ITC will be announcing memoranda of understanding with two separate parties today with a similar goal of harmonising Muslim-friendly standards globally.
“This is actually a big milestone for us in ITC because we are looking into harmonising our Muslim-friendly standards and hopefully with this collaboration, we will open up with other countries to work together with ITC on this goal,” said ITC director of industry development division Marina Muhamad.
WITC 2024 brings together global industry leaders, policymakers and stakeholders to discuss and promote the growth and development of Islamic tourism.
The event will provide attendees the opportunity to pioneer ideas, network and explore the latest advancement in Islamic tourism.
This year’s WITC centres around the theme of “Forging Connections” with a focus on understanding Muslim tourists, Muslim-travel friendly travel and community, growth and opportunity, as well as inclusivity.
