Islamic tourism: Malaysia shares experience with international counterparts

PUTRAJAYA - Tourism Malaysia welcomed 24 senior government officers from 18 countries who are in Malaysia from 8 to 20 June, attending a course on Islamic Tourism entitled Understanding and Embracing the Opportunities for Sustainable Development.

 

 The participants were welcomed by the Deputy Director General of Tourism Malaysia Dato’ Haji Azizan Noordin who also gave a presentation on the development of tourism in Malaysia.

 

Dato’ Haji Azizan in his speech said that Malaysia was an ideal destination for Islamic tourism as the country had all the amenities and facilities for Muslim travelers from all around the world.

 

“We understand the needs and requirements of Muslim travelers and they will undoubtedly feel comfortable when they travel to Malaysia,” he added.

 

The participants also had the opportunity to network with Tourism Malaysia officers and exchange ideas on the latest trend in tourism marketing and strategies.

 

Apart from visiting Tourism Malaysia, the participants also visited Johor Bahru and Melaka, as well as the Islamic Arts Museum Kuala Lumpur and International Islamic University Malaysia. Their programme included lectures and presentations on Islamic Tourism by hoteliers, medical service providers, educational institutions and travel agencies. 

 

Short Course on Islamic Tourism entitled Understanding and Embracing the Opportunities for Sustainable Development 

 

This two-week training course is organised by the Islamic Tourism Centre for the tenth time under the Malaysian Technical Corporation Programme (MTCP).

 

The participants hailed from both the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries and non-Islamic countries comprising Indonesia, Gambia, Palestine, Sudan, Yemen, Tunisia, Iran, Oman, Egypt, Morocco, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Cambodia, Laos, Malawi, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.

 

The objectives of the course are:

 

i. To enable participants to understand the current global trends in travel and tourism and the emergence of Islamic travel and tourism;

 

ii. To help identify and understand the expectations of Muslim travelers;

 

iii. To explore the issues associated with the development, management and marketing of Islamic tourism.
 

iv. To help develop appropriate tour packages and marketing strategies for successful Muslim tourists arrivals to a destination; and

 

v. To share Malaysia’s best practice experiences for sustainable Islamic travel and tourism.