Indian tourists experience a Halal culinary performance at a restaurant in Quang Ninh province.
Great potential
According to the Global Muslim Tourism Index, the Muslim Halal tourism market is quite potential and vibrant, with the growing demand of 2.1 billion Muslims (accounting for 23% of the global population). The number of international Muslim tourists is estimated to have increased from 108 million in 2013 to 160 million in 2019 (before the Covid-19 pandemic). It is forecasted that by 2030, tourism spending from this market will reach 341.1 billion USD/year. With this potential, for many years now, countries such as Japan, Korea, Thailand, Singapore and the UK have been making efforts to attract Muslim tourists, considering this a market for tourism recovery and development.
In Vietnam, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) assessed that the Halal tourism market is concentrated in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the South Pacific. Specifically, countries with a large Muslim population are: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, etc. In recent years, the number of tourists from Muslim countries to Vietnam has increased significantly, especially the Indian market which is growing strongly (in September 2023 alone, it increased by 240% compared to the same period last year)... Visitors from Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore and Indonesia have also increased. Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Ha Van Sieu commented that the Halal market brings promising opportunities for Vietnam Tourism, is a "gold mine" that can create momentum for the tourism industry.
Recognizing the potential of the Halal market, since the beginning of 2022, Vietnam has held many conferences to promote tourism investment in the Middle East and South Asia. Many seminars on Halal tourism have been held in localities to propose solutions to attract this market effectively and sustainably. Provinces and cities such as Quang Ninh, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Kien Giang... have planned to welcome Muslim guests from potential countries such as India, Malaysia, Singapore...
Among them, India is being assessed by many experts to become one of the largest markets in the world and a key tourism market for Vietnam in the coming time. Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Trung Khanh said that Vietnam has identified India as a potential market with top priority, and needs to step up promotional activities to attract visitors.
Professional preparation required
Although the Halal market is considered to be a “lever” for tourism development, especially the international tourist market, many experts believe that Vietnam still has many limitations and difficulties in effectively attracting this type of tourist. Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association Vu The Binh said that the facilities and services for Muslim tourists in Vietnam are still lacking. In addition, the lack of information, understanding and awareness of Islamic culture is also a barrier that prevents many localities and tourism units from welcoming this type of tourist.
From a business perspective, General Director of Hanoi Tourism Investment Joint Stock Company Nhu Thi Ngan said that exploiting the Halal tourism market still faces many difficulties due to the lack of cooperation and connection with Halal organizations and businesses. In addition, Vietnam still lacks Halal certification for products and services, including cuisine.
To effectively exploit this potential market, with experience as a person knowledgeable about the Halal market, Deputy General Director of Hanoi Daewoo Hotel Sunny Ghaiee said that localities should have training programs on services for restaurants and accommodation establishments with dedicated dining areas serving Muslim guests.
According to Nguyen Trung Khanh, Director of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, in addition to continuing to exploit the Muslim tourist market from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and India, businesses need to focus on the Middle East, where wealthy, high-spending tourists are concentrated. To conquer this demanding customer base, localities should focus on building prayer places exclusively for Muslims in public areas, restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues; food and consumer products need to have certification stamps that are trusted by Muslims...
In Hanoi, the Halal tourism market is also considered to bring many benefits to the capital's tourism when the number of visitors from India, Malaysia, and Singapore increases sharply. Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism Dang Huong Giang said that many hotels and restaurants have separate menus for Halal guests in addition to the menus for European and Asian guests.
The Department of Tourism has directed that in the coming time, tourist establishments should promote the development of Muslim-friendly services; organize training for staff; pay more attention to promoting and developing the Halal market...
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