Hanoi opens its doors to Halal tourists.

Halal tourism is a multi-billion dollar market, a highly potential yet largely untapped area. As one of Vietnam's leading tourist destinations, Hanoi is rapidly seeking opportunities to capitalize on this market.

Intensify efforts to seek development opportunities.

With 57 member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and over 2.2 billion Muslims worldwide , the Halal tourism market is not only vast in scale but also rich in spending potential. According to international statistics, global Muslim tourism spending reached over $220 billion (in 2023) and is projected to exceed $300 billion by 2026. Many countries around the world have also identified Halal tourism as a target market for development.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh once expressed his desire to develop Vietnam's Halal industry into a truly strong sector, making Vietnam an indispensable destination on the global Halal map.

Introducing Islamic cuisine at the Hanoi Tourism Festival 2025.

As one of Vietnam's leading tourist destinations, Hanoi is urgently implementing solutions to capitalize on this market. In recent years, the number of international tourists from countries with large Muslim communities visiting Hanoi has steadily increased. 2024 saw strong growth from India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, Brunei, Qatar, and other countries, reaching 650,000 visitors (accounting for approximately 15% of the total international tourists to Hanoi). In the first five months of 2025, the number of visitors from most countries with large Muslim communities to Hanoi continued to increase compared to the same period of the previous year.

In addition to leveraging existing advantages such as the Al-Noor Mosque at 12 Hang Luoc Street, Hoan Kiem District, and being rated by international travel platforms as a safe and friendly destination for women—which is crucial for Muslim tourists—Hanoi has now developed Muslim-friendly locations and services. The city has several Halal-certified accommodations such as Meliá Hanoi and InterContinental Hanoi Landmark72. Several hotels offer Halal food, including Duparc, Grand Mercure, Pullman, Movenpick Living West Hanoi, JW Marriott, and Sofitel Legend Metropole. Many restaurants and food service establishments catering to Muslims have also been established, such as D'Lions (92 Le Duan Street) and Khazaana (11 Ly Thai To Street). With these advantages, Mr. Nguyen Quy Phuong, Head of International Relations and Tourism Promotion (Vietnam National Tourism Administration), believes that Hanoi has great potential for strong development in Halal tourism. Mr. Mieu Abbas, President of Halal Vietnam, also commented: “As the political, cultural, and tourism center of the country, Hanoi can absolutely take the lead in establishing a standardized Halal tourism ecosystem.”

Introducing Islamic cuisine at the Hanoi Tourism Festival 2025.

Proactively welcoming Muslim tourists.

Despite its potential, Halal tourism in Hanoi, like other localities in Vietnam, is relatively new. Therefore, according to experts, close coordination is needed between management agencies, the business community, international organizations, and domestic and foreign partners.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Than, Chairman of the Hanoi Tourism Association, commented: “Due to the unique characteristics of religion, beliefs, and culture, Halal tourists have very strict standards, especially regarding food, religious living spaces, and respect for the cultural values, beliefs, customs, and traditions of Islam. We are in the process of transforming awareness into action to promote the development of this type of tourism. Although it is challenging, I believe that everything has its advantages and difficulties that we can overcome together.”

Addressing the lack of understanding of Halal culture, the most noticeable sign of Hanoi's recent desire to develop its Halal market was the Hanoi Tourism Festival 2025, themed "Experiencing Hanoi in 2025," which took place last week. Within the framework of the festival, for the first time, there were food stalls from India, Malaysia, Iran, Palestine, and other countries. Here, visitors could enjoy the diverse cuisine of these countries and engage in cultural exchange with the Muslim community.

The Hanoi Department of Tourism also organized a seminar on the topic "Developing a Halal-certified agricultural tourism model" to listen to the advice of industry experts. At the seminar, many delegates expressed their interest in the sharing of Mr. Vo Ngoc Han, CEO of Phan Gia Xanh Garden (Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa), from his experience of hosting Muslim tourists at his Halal-certified agricultural tourism facility.

"If we adhere strictly to Halal standards, welcoming Halal guests won't be difficult. With over 2 billion people sharing the same needs, there's nothing to fear. The biggest concern is that each guest has different needs. Regular cuisine isn't suitable for Muslims, but Halal cuisine is accessible to everyone," said Mr. Vo Ngoc Han.

According to Mr. Han, to tap into the Halal tourism market, one must understand Muslims. They have absolute faith in religion and spirituality, so the better you understand them, the easier it is to serve them. Muslims don't like overly noisy or bustling places; they prefer tranquility, privacy, and closeness to nature, so rural agricultural tourism would be a very suitable experience for Halal tourists.

Also at the seminar, Mr. Miao Abbas expressed: “We do not consider Halal as a secondary option, but a strategic opportunity for Vietnam to assert its position in the international market through quality, ethics, and thorough preparation.” He proposed: “Hanoi needs to develop a Halal guideline specifically for the city's tourism and service sectors; organize regular training and consulting courses to improve the implementation capacity of businesses; and establish a Hanoi Halal tourism promotion and introduction center to connect with the international market.”

Mr. Tran Trung Hieu, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, said: “The Department will advise on the development of specific policies to promote Halal tourism as a strategic segment in the orientation of expanding the international market with specific solutions regarding policies, investment, human resource training, communication, and promotion of Halal experiential tourism.”

According to the People's Army

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/ha-noi-mo-cua-don-du-khach-halal-a422372.html