Quang Ninh discusses solutions to attract Muslim tourists

After the Covid-19 pandemic, traditional foreign tourist markets of Vietnam tourism in general and Quang Ninh in particular have somewhat slowed down. Meanwhile, Muslim tourism (Halal cuisine) tends to shift to Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, and this is the customer stream that Quang Ninh tourism industry prioritizes.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Huyen Anh, Deputy Director in charge of the Department of Tourism of Quang Ninh province, said that Muslim tourists coming to Quang Ninh are mainly from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, India and the Middle East.

"We have now organized a campaign to encourage businesses to invest in infrastructure to serve this type of customer. For example, Deanase Hotel has arranged a separate area, with rooms that meet the requirements of Halal customers, and a prayer room for customers. With restaurants that have chefs and are Halal certified..." - Ms. Nguyen Thi Huyen Anh shared.

Discussing and seeking solutions to attract Muslim tourists to Quang Ninh, the conference delegates had general information about the overall picture of "Halal cuisine"; the effective use of communication solutions in attracting and welcoming Muslim tourists... In particular, representatives of many large international travel agencies from India and Vietnam analyzed the strengths and limitations of Quang Ninh's tourism products, thereby proposing solutions to promote attracting Muslim tourists in the current context.

Mr. Nguyen Trung Khanh, Director of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, said: "The first thing we must do is improve the technical facilities and infrastructure to meet the needs of Muslim guests, especially food, beverages and consumer needs. It is necessary to train tourism human resources who understand culture, religion, beliefs and languages ​​for exchange and communication. There is preparation for products and services, and coordination in promoting and advertising to target markets such as the Middle East, South Asia...".

It is expected that by 2023, about 140 million Muslim tourists will travel to countries around the world and by 2028, it is estimated that about 230 million will travel with spending up to 225 billion USD. Currently, in Vietnam, only Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi are the main tourist destinations welcoming this flow of visitors.