MUSLIM-FRIENDLY TOHOKU campaign aims to attract more Malaysians, Indonesians to Tohoku, Japan

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The Reconstruction Agency, the government body in Japan coordinating reconstruction activities related to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, is developing a New Tohoku project to promote tourism in Tohoku, Japan. 

A MUSLIM-FRIENDLY* TOHOKU campaign has been launched as part of the campaign. The campaign aims to establish infrastructure necessary to receive Muslim inbound traffic in six prefectures of the Tohoku district. Travel collaterals targeting Muslim-majority countries with stable economic growth such as Indonesia and Malaysia have been developed. 

The campaign is driven by growth in the number of Muslims visiting Japan as well as an estimated jump in Japan's inbound tourism market that is expected toward 2020, when the 2020 Summer Olympics will take place in Tokyo, Japan. Tourist numbers from Indonesia and Malaysia have grown nearly threefold over four years, from 2012 to 2016. 

MUSLIM-FRIENDLY workshops have also been held at major hotels in Tohoku to deepen the understanding of the concept in order to create and develop new omotenashi (お持て成し, Japanese-style hospitality) services to welcome Muslims. As a result, facilities with prayer rooms and Muslim-friendly meals have been developed in Tohoku, expanding on the only two lodging facilities which had Muslim-friendly meals in the six prefectures of Tohoku as of March 2017, according to a study conducted by Halal Media Japan. 

The MUSLIM-FRIENDLY TOHOKU PR Japan representative office, run by Sunny Side Up  is looking to increase the number of facilities taking part in the campaign, while enhancing tourists' experiences of MUSLIM-FRIENDLY omotenashi. Tours featuring Tohoku's unique history and nature have been created along the lines of the well-travelled Golden Routes that highlight Tokyo, Mount Fuji and Kyoto. Information on MUSLIM-FRIENDLY facilities and tours is also introduced through websites for inbound tourists such as JAPANiCAN. 

Explore: 

Check out Tohoku on JAPANiCAN

*Muslim-friendly refers to services that are extended with compassion and understanding of the special needs of Muslim visitors, but does not come with formal halal certification. Muslim-friendly venues may offer pork-free and alcohol-free menus, providing ingredient labelling of meals on menus, and set aside spaces for prayers and purification. 

WIEF Foundation introduces Muslim-friendly destinations

The WIEF Foundation has highlighted a number of Muslim-friendly destinations in the runup to the 12th World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) for 2016. Muslim travel-related expenditure is estimated to grow from US$145 billion in 2014 to US$200 billion by 2020, the Foundation has observed, leading to a growing number of destinations in the Asia Pacific and Middle East that Muslim travellers can choose from:

Indonesia
As one of the largest Muslim-majority countries in the world, Indonesia is teeming with attractions and activities such as the lush beaches of Bali, dive sites in Komodo and Lombok islands, ancient monuments in Borobudur for history lovers and shopping malls in Jakarta.

The country is actively promoting halal tourism by designating at least 10 regions and provinces as halal tourist destinations. Some of the provinces chosen include Jakarta, West Sumatra, Aceh, Central Java and West Java and a few others. In the country’s drive for Islamic tourism, Lombok, known as an “island of 1,000 mosques”, has taken centrestage. Fast becoming a favourite of tourists from the Middle East, there are plans to build an Islamic centre that will have a mosque, hotel and a study centre.

Guides are being trained to have useful visitor information, such as the location of the nearest mosque, at their fingertips. Alcohol-free hotels and Muslim-friendly zones are also being encouraged on the island.

View from the Petronas Towers.

Malaysia
Malaysia is known for its friendly locals, mouthwatering food, diverse wildlife and beaches and dive sites. It is also home to the former tallest buildings in the world, the Petronas Twin Towers, located in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur.

Turkey
A meeting point of Western and Eastern cultures, Turkey has an abundance of historical monuments and stunning architecture from its Byzantine and Ottoman Empire past. It is also famous for the Hagia Sophia, the basilica-turned-mosque which was turned into a museum in 1935.

Jordan
Home to more than 100,000 archaeological tourist sites, Jordan is rich in religious landmarks and ancient architecture. Swim—or rather float—in the Dead Sea and visit one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, Petra or Rose City, the most visited tourist attraction in the country.

Coastal forts in Oman.

Oman
A place of untouched beauty, Oman is home to honey-coloured dunes and blue waters and is ideal for nature lovers. Other attractions include the country’s renowned desert safari and opportunities to either watch turtles lay their eggs on the beaches of Ras al Hadd or wild bottlenose dolphins frolic off the coast of Fahal Island.

Dome, Sultan Mosque, Singapore (pre-renovation).

Singapore
Singapore is gaining traction in the global Muslim tourism industry despite not being a Muslim nation. Thanks to its increasing numbers of halal eateries and prayer rooms, the home of the Merlion is becoming a popular destination, complementing its attractions with contemporary architecture across the Marina Bay, and high-end shopping malls along Orchard Road.

Interested?

The 12th WIEF will be held in Jakarta from August 2 to 4, 2016. Register

Manila Marriott receives a Crescent Rating of five for halal friendliness

Source: Crescentrating. The Manila Marriott receives a Crescent Rating of five for halal friendliness.

The five-star Manila Marriott has become the first premium hotel chain to be rated by Crescentrating, an authority in halal travel, for its halal-friendly services and facilities. CrescentRating awarded the hotel with a rating of five for its halal-friendly services, such as a halal food section in the Marriott Café. The CrescentRating system rates the overall halal-friendliness of hotels on a scale of one to seven, with one being the lowest rating and seven being the highest.

Marriott Hotel Manila is the centrepiece of the mixed-use Resorts World Manila, located directly opposite Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. A destination in itself, this five-star property is poised to become the Philippines’ most unique and comprehensive destination for MICE. 

The hotel currently offers 342 spacious guestrooms and suites and will open the West Wing in 2016, adding an additional 228 rooms. Designed around the needs of modern travellers, each guestroom offers premium Wi-Fi capability, iPod docks and over-sized bathrooms. Mobile check-ins and check-outs, fine linens and Thann amenities add to the experience.

“Marriott Hotel Manila is excited to be a leader in promoting halal friendly services and offerings to the region and beyond. We look forward to extending not only our world class Filipino hospitality to our local, regional and global customers, but also an environment of awareness, sensitivity and exemplary service expected from a multitude of discerning customers," Bruce Winton, General Manager for Marriott Manila said. Marriott Hotel's halal kitchen is halal-certified by the Halal International Chamber of Commerce and Industries of the Philippines (HICCIP).

Fazal Bahardeen, CEO of CrescentRating, said, “Marriott are leading the drive from the front and more hotels will be granted a Crescent Rating in the Philippines soon. We predict that this commitment by Marriott will be worth millions of dollars to the local economy over the next few years and will drive visitor arrivals to the country.”

Ratings of the hotels and resorts in the Philippines is part of a series of initiatives recently unveiled by the Philippine Department of Tourism (PDOT) to create a long-term infrastructure that attracts Muslim visitors, especially from the neighbouring ASEAN region and the Middle East.

Travel experts predict these initiatives could be worth millions of dollars to the tourism industry in the country. The Muslim travel market is projected to be worth more than US$200 billion by 2020, according to the MasterCard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index 2016 report.

PDOT recently partnered with CrescentRating on a series of activities to increase awareness of the availability of halal food, mosques and other Muslim-friendly holiday experiences and facilities in the Philippines. The new drive to attract inbound Muslim tourists is a key strand of its long-term strategy to maximise economic growth in the halal tourism industry, PDOT said.

On 8 April, Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez, Jr of PDOT launched the Philippine Halal Tourism project. PDOT had worked with National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), HICCIP and CrescentRating, to prepare and then halal-certify the kitchens and facilities of 43 hotels, resorts, restaurants, and other tourism-related establishments in Manila, Cebu, Boracay, Davao, Bohol, Zamboanga City, General Santos City, Koronadal, Cotabato City, Surigao City, and Siargao Island in under 100 days prior to the launch.

“Less than a year ago today, we decided to stop talking about halal and start doing something about it. This project has been very successful in the sense that it created an awareness, a halal consciousness, among the Filipinos first, and the halal travel market as well,” Jimenez Jr said at the time.“The best and most important welcome to the visitors is with food. And if you are not halal, then there is a very important segment of society in the world that you are not extending a proper welcome to.”

PDOT has set its sights on seeking a larger slice of the global halal tourism market. Citing Crescentrating data Secretary Jimenez shared, “..the Philippines is one of the countries in Southeast Asia that is determined to partake 20% to 25% of the US$200 billion global halal market. The market is already there, with arrivals from Malaysia, for one, growing at double-digit rate. The only thing that is wanting is capacity.”

Secretary Yasmin Lao of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) lauded the PDOT’s commitment to advancing the halal industry, given that Jimenez has brought the Halal Tourism Project to fruition in less than 100 days. “I strongly believe that The Halal Tourism Project will lead towards a way (where) Muslim-Filipinos feel that they are so very much part of this country,” she said, adding that halal will be a game changer in terms of economic development of Muslim-Filipinos.

HICCIP is the official halal certification body in the country recognised by the NCMF to spearhead the local accreditation of participating halal establishments, while CrescentRating is a Singapore-based authority on Muslim travel recognised for its independent rating and accreditation standard worldwide.

“We commend Manila Marriott Hotel for being the first premium hotel chain to be rated for its halal friendly services and for joining us in making our brand of welcome special, through food that is proper and acceptable to our countrymen and friends around the world,” Jimenez added.

The Philippines has more than 7,000 islands and offers a unique travel experience with beautiful coastlines, lush mountain ranges and bustling city centres. The country is in close proximity to the large Muslim populations of Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, and welcomes approximately 566,000 visitors from the Middle East, parts of ASEAN, as well as India and Israel annually.

The MasterCard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2016, the most comprehensive research that has been released on the sector, revealed that in 2015, 117 million Muslims travelled, representing 10% of the entire travel economy. Philippines was ranked 46th on the GMTI 2016 destination list.

From US$2.43 billion in tourism earnings in 2008, the country’s tourism receipts have grown to US$5 billion in 2015. This makes the tourism industry the third-largest dollar-earning sector in the economy, after the semiconductor and BPO sectors. Tourism accounts for one in every ten jobs in the economy, or 12.7% of total employment according to the Philippines Statistical Authority.

Consider going halal-friendly to grow in the hospitality industry: HMH

Laurent Voivenel, CEO of HMH - Hospitality Management Holdings, says that the way forward for the hospitality industry is to be halal-friendly as halal tourism holds enormous potential. "Given the business opportunity and demand halal-friendly hotels will continue to claim bigger market share globally. By 2030, Muslims will make up more than a quarter of the global population rising from 1.6 billion in 2010 to 2.2 billion and 30% of this population will seek halal options," he said at the World Halal Travel Summit & Exhibition (WHTS15).

As a travel segment, halal tourism equals roughly 10% of the entire travel economy and last year was calculated to be worth US$145 billion, representing over 108 million Muslim travellers. The segment is forecast to continue to grow to 150 million visitors by 2020 and will be worth over US$200 billion globally, HMH notes. Commanding 33% share of the MENA region's halal-friendly segment, HMH created the region's first international halal-friendly chain of hotels.

HMH spotted the opportunity early in the MENA region, rolling out the concept in 2003. Voivenel said, "At HMH we have taken a ‘halal-friendly’ and not ‘halal-only’ approach. Our strategy has been to position ourselves as a perfect choice for both regional and international corporate and leisure travellers including families and single female guests seeking safe and healthy environment. Let's not forget, not everybody is seeking halal hotels. The world is shrinking with greater connectivity as well as low cost carriers opening new markets bringing in more diverse mix of travellers. Therefore, the way forward is not halal-only; rather it is halal-friendly, and that is what we are all about."

According to Laurent dry hotels are equally popular with Western or non-Muslim travellers. He said, "On average over 60% of our clientele are non-Muslims. Our typical customers are savvy travellers (both leisure and corporate) looking for value for money - basically, smart accommodation at the right price. Equally essential for them is a safe environment.

"A dry hotel can yield the same gross operating profit as the one with alcohol provided the facilities are defined right. After food and beverage, the largest money maker in a hotel is banqueting. So whenever HMH is involved in planning and development of hotel, we advise owners to allocate maximum space to meeting and banquet facilities instead of too many food and beverage outlets as that could generate superb revenue."

Interested?

Read the Suroor Asia blog post about HMH's plans to focus on the mid-market

posted from Bloggeroid

HMH goes in for the halal-friendly mid-market hotel segment

HMH - Hospitality Management Holdings (HMH), which operates a chain of halal-friendly hotels operating across the MENA region, has unveiled plans at the Arabian Travel Market to grow its halal-friendly mid-market and budget segment by 30%. 

HMH CEO Laurent Voivenel said, "The biggest growth in the halal tourism is being seen in the mid-market segment. And our strategy is to expand aggressively in this segment with a target of boosting our existing portfolio of hotels by 30% over the next five years. This will include having a hotel in every GCC country while doubling our portfolio in the UAE and KSA. We also have a strong interest in the booming Asian markets such as India, Indonesia, Malaysia and China."


Voivenel explained, "Our market intelligence shows halal-friendly hotels will continue to claim bigger market share given the business opportunity and demand. By 2030, Muslims will make up more than a quarter of the global population, rising from 1.6 billion in 2010 to 2.2 billion by 2030, and 30% of this population will seek halal options - largely in mid-market segment."

HMH is the first and 'still the only' international alcohol-free chain of hotels, Voivenel added, with all brands under HMH halal-friendly no matter where the company operates. 

"Contrary to popular belief, a dry hotel can be as lively and vibrant as any hotel. One of the greatest plus of a dry hotel is a safe and healthy environment that is perfect for families as well as single women travellers. Our hotels tend to focus on clean fun and entertainment. Creativity and passion ensure guests an exceptional experience," he noted.

CrescentRating launches travel aggregator for Muslim travel

CrescentRating has launched Muslim Travel Warehouse – a global B2B platform and travel aggregator offering Muslim-friendly tour packages.

In addition to search and booking capabilities on an extensive portfolio of packages, Muslim Travel Warehouse offers travel agents around the world a way to provide Muslim travellers with custom itineraries. All products available on the platform will be rated by CrescentRating's independent rating standard based on how well they cater to Muslim travellers.

The new platform will initially offer tour packages to 15 destinations, with more packages and destinations being added over the next 12 months. Muslim Travel Warehouse plans to work with destination management companies, tourism boards and ground operators from around the world to expand its portfolio.

Muslim Travel Warehouse will also provide a wide range of support services for its partners including a live travel trade helpdesk via the live chat service, detailed halal tourism information including fact sheets and digital brochures. For more information on Muslim Travel Warehouse please visit its website at:

"At CrescentRating we have been passionately exploring all opportunities not just to grow this segment, but incorporate all available technologies while doing so. It was a year or so ago when we realised that there was really a gap in the market for a global B2B platform for tour packages customised for the Muslim travel market. The enquiries we were getting through both our existing platforms CrescentRating and HalalTrip, encouraged us to start looking for a solution. That journey has now led us to launch the Muslim Travel Warehouse," explained Fazal Bahardeen, CEO, CrescentRating on the Muslim Travel Warehouse blog in late April.

"According to the latest figures we released in the MasterCard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2015, the halal tourism sector was worth US$145 billion in 2014. This figure is predicted to grow to US$200 billion by 2020. Given that family travel contributes 52% of the entire total of the halal tourism sector, providing travel agencies with a full portfolio of Muslim friendly tour packages, excursions and activities will definitely help accelerate the growth of this sector."

Muslim-friendly PNB Darby Park Executive Suites announces lunch promos

Source: PNB Darby Park Executive Suites website. The 10Binjai Restaurant.

The PNB Darby Park Executive Suites, a 4-star serviced apartment hotel which is popular with business travellers, has been increasingly focused on adding services and facilities to cater to Muslim guests. In November 2014, the hotel was awarded the Muslim-friendly rating of 7 by CrescentRating, its highest rating for hotels. The rating signifies that the hotel specialises in catering to halal/Muslim-friendly requirements.

The two main restaurants at the hotel, 10Binjai and The 39 Restaurant, have been halal certified by JAKIM since 2007. The contemporary 10Binjai Restaurant for casual dining, has a promotion on till March 2015 for its Express Asian Tray while freshwater fish figure in the Fishylicious promotion at 39, also till March 2015.

The hotel’s recreational facilities such as the swimming pool and sauna take into consideration the needs of Muslim guests as well.

Muslim Friendly Hospitality Services standard is voluntary but could help businesses succeed

Islamic tourism is often thought to be about providing halal food, but Malaysia has noted that it also includes the full suite of hospitality services that comply with shari'ah law. This encompasses hotels, resorts, restaurants and airlines that offer food with halal certificates, but also do not serve alcoholic beverages, prayer facilities, provide separate wellness facilities for women, and a generally Muslim-friendly environment.

The Muslim Friendly Hospitality Services (MFHS) standard is Malaysia’s first standard dedicated for the Islamic tourism sector. Initiated and led by International Institute for Halal Research & Training (INHART) of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), the original submission to develop the standard was made in December 2012 to the Department of Standards Malaysia (DSM). This was followed by the appointment of SIRIM as the standard’s secretariat by DSM and the formation of a draft committee by the Technical Committee (TC) on Management System from Islamic Perspectives.

The draft, released as Draft Malaysian Standard : Muslim Friendly Hospitality Services – Requirements, is available for public feedback from 1 August to 30 September 2014. Find out how to participate here.

An industry review was held on 14 August and reported on 15 August on the ITC website. According to the report, Zulkifly Said, Director General of the ITC, said that implementation of the standard will be on a voluntary basis on the part of industry players, but pointed out that the guidelines will be a powerful marketing tool for businesses.

Crescentrating names top 10 halal friendly holiday destinations for 2014

For 2014, Malaysia, UAE and Turkey are the top three most halal friendly destinations which are Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) members, while Singapore, South Africa and Thailand lead for the non-OIC category, says Crescentrating, a Singapore-based company that comments on halal travel. Both Malaysia and Singapore also topped the list the year before.

Crescentrating's fourth Ranking of Halal Friendly Holiday Destinations covers 60 destinations, against 50 the year before. The ranking is based on suitability as a family holiday destination, the level of services and facilities it provides for Muslim travellers and the marketing initiatives of the destination targeting this segment as the main criteria.
   
The company notes that the Muslim travel market was estimated to be worth US$140 billion in 2013, representing almost 13% of global travel expenditure, and commented that Indonesia has moved up to 4th position as a result of initiatives launched in the past 12 months to focus on the Muslim travel segment. 

"Japan has made the most improvement among the 60 destinations tracked. Japan released a travel guide for Muslim travellers last year. Recently some of the airports in Japan have also taken steps to improve their services by offering halal food and prayer rooms," said the company in a statement. 

	Top 10 Halal Friendly Destinations 2014 (OIC Destinations)	Top 10 Halal Friendly Destinations 2014 (non-OIC Destinations)
1	Malaysia	Singapore
2	United Arab Emirates	South Africa
3	Turkey	Thailand
4	Indonesia	United Kingdom
5	Saudi Arabia	Bosnia & Herzegovina
6	Morocco	India
7	Jordan	Hong Kong
8	Qatar	Germany
9	Tunisia	Australia
10	Egypt	Tanzania

An in-depth look at the rankings of all 60 destinations is available here.

Japan's Yokohama's tourism initatives targeted at Muslims are blogged here.