WORLD ISLAMIC TOURISM CONFERENCE RETURNS TO ADDRESS POST-PANDEMIC OPPORTUNITIES IN ISLAMIC TOURISM FOR INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION RECOVERY

Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) is hosting the 2nd World Islamic Tourism Conference with the theme “Islamic Tourism New Norms and Revitalisation” in a hybrid format from 15 to 17 November 2021

PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA, 2 NOVEMBER 2021: As economies and destinations gradually recover from an almost 2-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) is set to champion Islamic Tourism as the way forward for global destinations. It will host the 2nd World Islamic Tourism Conference from 15-17 November to highlight the opportunities available within the Islamic Tourism segment in a post-pandemic landscape.

Dato’ Dr. Mohmed Razip Haji Hasan, Director-General of ITC says: “The conference is significant because it addresses the burgeoning Islamic Tourism sector and how Islamic Tourism can be the crucial strategy towards global economic and destination recovery. We’re seeing destinations worldwide gaining momentum and strategising to reopen their doors to travellers. So, don’t discount the power of Islamic Tourism and Muslim-Friendly branding to attract the next wave of travellers.”

Opening the event is YB Dato Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, who will present a keynote speech at the conference on 15 November.

“We’re seizing the opportunity to promote the message that the Muslim tourist market is a focus market of great potential for global destinations keen on restarting their tourism industry. Discussions will revolve around understanding the new needs of tourists and particularly the expectations of Muslim travellers, as well as the innovations and new ideas to meet those needs and propel the tourism industry forward as we move past the pandemic,” he adds.

“What’s interesting is that the conference will present the voices and perspectives of an international community on the subject. So, you will hear from government officials and ambassadors, global destination tourism boards who have applied this strategy, universities that conduct extensive research in the area of tourism and specifically Islamic Tourism, and also members of the media. They’ve been invited to share their experiences and perspectives on why the Muslim tourist market holds great promise, and anyone in the tourism industry should not miss this,” says Dato’ Dr. Mohmed Razip.

WITC is an international conference power-packed with exciting key topics and a line-up of well-respected speakers from governments and city councils, the diplomatic community, business owners, tourism industry, academia, and the media. The event will be organised in a hybrid format with limited numbers of on-site delegates at World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur, while other local and international participants will be able to join via the online Zoom platform.

Discussions and presentations on Islamic Tourism and all its aspects will be held over three days and the following seven core sessions:

• Ambassadors and Leaders Forum

Topic: The Economics of Islamic Tourism – What’s in store after Covid-19

• Emerging Islamic Tourism Destinations

Presentations by key Muslim-Friendly tourist destinations, i.e. Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and Malaysia 

• Domestic Tourism Forum

Topic: Domestic Tourism Revival for the Muslim Market

• Islamic Tourism Business Forum

Topic: Destination Readiness for Global Muslim-friendly Tourism

• Islamic Tourism Lifestyle

Presentations by an international media, a tourism association, and other tourism industry players

• Islamic Tourism Scholars Forum

Topic: The Future of Islamic Tourism 

• Islamic Tourism Urban Forum

Topic: Challenges in City Recovery from the Pandemic for Tourism Confidence

“ITC has been championing Islamic Tourism since it was established in 2009, and our efforts have been to strengthen the tourism ecosystem, prepare international tourism industry players with knowledge and skills to tap into this market, conduct research on Islamic Tourism, and establish the guidelines and frameworks that tourism suppliers can implement to make their products and services appealing to the Muslim tourist market,” explains Dato’ Dr. Mohmed Razip.

He adds: “WITC is an extension of our efforts to highlight the power of Islamic Tourism and Muslim-Friendly branding towards sustainable tourism in terms of economic revitalisation, employment opportunities, tourism industry capacity building, and environmental, heritage and culture preservation, among others.”

“We are confident that insha Allah with this continuous effort, Malaysia’s strong commitment in promoting Islamic Tourism to the world will continue to be recognised locally and internationally. As this segment is interconnected with business and various communities, the result is significant to nations and their tourism industry players as we pursue a new environment of life,” he says.

Details:

Event name: 2nd World Islamic Tourism Conference (WITC)
Organiser: Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC)
Date: 15-17 Nov 2021
Event format: Hybrid
Physical event (limited seats): World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Online event: Zoom platform

Don’t miss this opportunity to meet and engage with our panel of speakers as they discuss a wide range of topics. Register in advance as an online delegate at:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0pf-itqj8sHdwlRgAx10Etody3CuXfYz9V

—— END ——

Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) is an entity 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 consultation, Muslim-friendly tourism and hospitality (MFTH) services standards and certification, and information exchange.

In 2021, ITC was named the recipient of the Strategic Business Alliance Award at The BrandLaureate World Halal Best Brand E-Branding Awards 2021. It is a 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 addition, Malaysia was named top country in the region in the MFT sector by the State of the Global Islamic Economy (SGIE) Report 2020/21. Malaysia also retained the top-ranked destination in the MasterCard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2021, 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,
Level 13, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia
No. 2 Tower 1, Jalan P5/6,
Precinct 5, 62200 Putrajaya, Malaysia
Tel: 03-8891 7177 or via email itc@mymuslimtrip.com/v2

Follow ITC on these social platforms:

Facebook: Islamic Tourism Centre
Twitter: @itc_my
Instagram: @itc_my