3rd WITC sharpens focus on Muslim tourist market as a growth enabler

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 6 (Bernama) -- The 3rd World Islamic Tourism Conference (WITC) will take place from 17 to 19 October to highlight the socio-economic growth benefits of tapping into the Muslim tourist market.

Organised by Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC), the sole government agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture tasked to lead the development of Islamic Tourism in Malaysia, the conference returns to World Trade Centre this year with approximately 300 delegates daily and an international and local lineup of 40 speakers and moderators.

Commenting on the Muslim tourist market potential, ITC Director-General, Datuk Dr Mohmed Razip Hasan says: “One of the things that ITC has been observing and tracking is the growth of the Muslim tourist market. Malaysia has been seeing its healthy rise up until 2019 before the pandemic broke. It contributed approximately a 20 percent share to Malaysia’s tourist arrivals and tourist receipts. It’s a dynamic market.”

“With people travelling again now, so are the Muslim tourists. It’s a key market to look into and one of the reasons is because they are geographically well distributed in Southeast Asia and Europe, not just the Middle East. You can say it is a global tourist market, protected from location-specific disruptions,” he explains.

The conference’s theme this year, “Islamic Tourism: Inspiring Balance, Transformations and Solutions,” was chosen to re-energise and motivate tourism industry players towards strategic action and tourism recovery by viewing the Muslim tourist market potential as a socio-economic driver.

Datuk Dr Mohmed Razip says: “We chose this theme because we want to influence a new way of thinking. The thinking must change and followed up with synergistic and collaborative action. We don’t want anyone to be left behind or miss this opportunity.”

Datuk Dr Mohmed Razip adds: “As we move into the tourism recovery phase now, it’s critical for destinations and tourism industry players to gain their footing in the market and make a big push forward. But the tourism scenario now is different than before the pandemic. We are faced with new tourism preferences, advancements in technology, a changing workforce and working trends, climate issues, geopolitical challenges, and more. Industry players need the knowledge and a different way of thinking to thrive in this post-pandemic environment. The WITC conference will bring together some of the best minds from various industry backgrounds to weigh in on the matter.”

“There are vast benefits in tourism, specifically when we deliver to the burgeoning Muslim tourist market. New businesses can evolve, products and services can expand, new jobs can be created, more people can benefit,” he adds.

“More importantly, Islamic Tourism strives to bring new perspectives which promote a healthy Human Development Index (HDI) consisting of excellent healthcare, education and decent standard of living, and a focus on ESG (Environment, Social and Governance), through best practices within the supply chains in the tourism, travel and hospitality segment.”

 “To add value to the WITC brand, this year, we’re introducing an exhibition element to the conference. About 50 to 80 tourism businesses, products and services will be showcased. It’s an opportunity to connect and collaborate with tourism industry players,” he says.

To learn more about the potential of the Muslim tourist market, register as a delegate at the 3rd World Islamic Tourism Conference 2022 at www.witc.gov.my.

Highlights of WITC:

Registration for WITC is still open. Kindly visit www.witc.gov.my for more information and to register as a delegate, exhibitor or sponsor.

-- BERNAMA