Malaysia saw a significant boost in its tourism sector last year with the arrival of 4.5 million Muslim tourists, contributing RM14.7 billion to the economy, as reported by the director-general of the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC), Nizran Noordin.
Speaking on Bernama TV’s ‘Apa Khabar Malaysia’ program, Nizran highlighted the strong economic potential of Malaysia’s Muslim-friendly tourism and hospitality sector, which continues to grow in popularity.
Nizran emphasized the vast market potential, noting that the global Muslim population stands at around two billion, with 1.1 billion of them residing in Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries. The OIC is a global organization with 57 member countries, predominantly Muslim-majority nations.
In Southeast Asia (ASEAN) alone, there are 255 million Muslims, while 350 million Muslims live in countries where they are a minority.
“The opportunity is enormous,” Nizran explained, referencing data from the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI). “By 2028, it is estimated that 230 million Muslim travelers will contribute approximately USD225 billion (RM987 billion) to the global economy,” he added.
To support the growth of this sector, ITC offers certification and recognition for Muslim-friendly accommodations and has certified around 220 Muslim-friendly tour guides.
Additionally, ITC is organizing the Islamic Tourism Month (ITM) from August 16 to September 30, offering special deals on accommodations, travel packages, mosque tourism experiences, beauty and spa services, and various exhibitions and events.
More details about the program can be found on the official website: www.itm.itc.gov.my. — Bernama
