CREATING NEW PARTNERSHIPS AT HALAL EXPO LONDON 2022

 ITC Director-General, Dato’ Dr. Mohmed Razip Haji Hasan (far right) speaking at the Halal Economy Conference 2022 moderated by Ms. Saeeda Ahmed, London Halal Expo’s Director of Strategic Partnership (far left)

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, 3 DECEMBER 2022: Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) extended its strategic relations with global Islamic Tourism and Halal industry practitioners at the inaugural Halal Expo London 2022 that took place at Excel London, United Kingdom on 2 and 3 December 2022.

The 2-day affair was a platform for Halal industry stakeholders to grow their target demographic to the trillion ringgit-worth global market with unlimited business potential. The trade show featured multiple sectors serving the faith-based needs of the world’s 1.9 billion Muslim consumers covering the areas of travel and tourism as well as beauty, food and beverage, fashion, sports, and entertainment. It was also an opportunity for decision-makers and heads of enterprises to communicate, discuss and share ideas on collaboration and investment possibilities to further strengthen the Halal industry. 

Dato’ Dr. Mohmed Razip with (from left to right): Councillor Tauseef Anwar, Speaker & Civic Mayor of Lewisham Council; Mr. Rafi-uddin Shikoh, CEO and Managing Director of DinarStandard; and H.E. Dato’ Zakri Jaafar, High Commissioner of Malaysia to the United Kingdom 

ITC took part in the exhibition to showcase its consultancy products and services in strengthening the Muslim-friendly offerings and branding. The expo was also an opportunity to support awareness towards the growing Muslim consumer market and highlight Malaysia as a Muslim-friendly destination. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between London Halal Expo organiser and ITC to continue the collaboration in the upcoming Halal Expo. ITC’s Director-General, YBhg. Dato’ Dr. Mohmed Razip Haji Hasan and London Halal Expo’s Director of Strategic Partnership, Saeeda Ahmed represented their respective organisations at the signing.

A total of 14 other Malaysian companies also took part to highlight the country’s various Halal offerings to the expo’s international audience. This was in line with Malaysia’s National Recovery Plan to increase the nation’s export potential. 

Dato’ Dr. Mohmed Razip was also invited to speak at the conference portion of the expo, the Halal Economy Conference, on the topic l“Clouds Above the Rest: Islamic Tourism Inspires Balance, Transformations and Solutions”. The Director-General shared Malaysia’s experience as the leading Muslim-Friendly destination in catering to the Muslim tourist market and addressed the rising power of the Muslim consumer on the global front and how this would shape the future of businesses, products and services.

“The inclusive nature of Islamic Tourism makes it the sector that connects the different components within the Halal economy that includes pharmaceutical, entertainment, fashion, finance, media and recreation, food and beverage, among others, inspiring a balanced socio-economical growth globally,” informed Dato’ Dr. Mohmed Razip. 

Earlier this year, the State of the Global Islamic Economy Report by DinarStandard revealed that the Muslim-Friendly and Hospitality Travel recorded a sum of USD 1.2 billion in travel investment in 2020/2021, signifying its importance. Malaysia’s praiseworthy performance in the area has earned it the Best Muslim-Friendly Destination (OIC) title at the inaugural Halal Travel Awards and the Global Muslim Travel Index 2022 Report by CrescentRating and MasterCard, further cementing its position in the industry. 

As the appointed government agency to ensure the development of the Islamic Tourism ecosystem in Malaysia, ITC will continue its agenda to retain Malaysia’s position as the preferred destination of the Muslim tourist market by taking part in international engagement events such as the Halal Expo London 2022. ITC’s participation in the expo was supported by the national flag carrier, Malaysia Airlines, and Tourism Malaysia. 

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Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) is a Company Limited By Guarantee (CLBG) established under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Malaysia tasked to develop the Islamic tourism segment for Malaysia. It advocates for Muslim-friendly tourism (MFT) by offering research and market intelligence, training, industry development and consultation, Muslim-friendly tourism and hospitality (MFTH) service standards and certification, and information exchange.

In 2021, ITC received two key awards, i.e. Strategic Business Alliance Award at The BrandLaureate World Halal Best Brand E-Branding Awards 2021, and Best Islamic Tourism Leadership Gold Award 2021 by Malaysia Tourism Council. These are recognition of ITC’s efforts and endeavours in formulating new strategies to meet the new normal of the business environment to ensure business continuity and sustainability, notwithstanding its role to develop and grow the Islamic tourism segment in Malaysia.

In 2022, Malaysia was again named top country in the world in the MFT sector by the State of the Global Islamic Economy (SGIE) Report 2022 by DinarStandard in partnership with Salaam Standard and supported by Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism.

Malaysia also retained the top-ranked destination in the MasterCard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2022, a position it has defended since the launch of the Index in 2015.

These recognitions are an added motivation for ITC to continue to strengthen its efforts in being a prime mover and leading institution to ensure Malaysia is at the forefront of MFTH.

For further details, kindly contact:

Islamic Tourism Centre
(Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia)
Level 13, No. 2 Tower 1, Jalan P5/6,
Precinct 5, 62200 Putrajaya, Malaysia
Tel: 03-8891 7177 or via email itc@mymuslimtrip.com/v2

For media-related matters, contact the Corporate Communications team:

Anis, Manager, +6012 321 9137, anis@mymuslimtrip.com/v2
Nadhirah, Sr. Executive, +6019 356 0530, nadhirah@mymuslimtrip.com/v2
Ainaa Izzati, Asst. Executive, +6010 266 2535, ainaa@mymuslimtrip.com/v2

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