Thailand urged to woo more Muslim tourists
Tourism remains a key driver of Thailand's economy, and China was the top source market for visitors over the past few years.
For the first six months of this year, Thailand recorded 16.7 million foreign arrivals, a 4.66% year-on-year dip, with Chinese visitors declining by 34% to 2.26 million, according to the Economics Tourism and Sports Division, Tourism and Sports Ministry.
With the Chinese market shrinking, Thailand should strengthen its efforts to attract Muslim travellers, who are often high spenders and tend to travel in family groups, said Marut Mekloy, president of the TMTA.
He said there is significant growth potential in products and services catering to Muslim consumers, driven by the rising global Muslim population, which now exceeds 2 billion and continues to expand.
Mr Marut said Thailand has five key sectors with high potential for this market: food and beverages, tourism, medicine, cosmetics, and fashion. However, Thailand is not yet a truly Muslim-friendly destination.
Prior to the pandemic, Thailand ranked among the top three non-OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) destinations for Muslim travellers. The country has since lost that position due to its inability to meet the needs of Muslim tourists.
He cited Japan, where both public and private sectors have taken measures to accommodate Muslim travellers such as providing signs highlighting the availability of halal products and by including halal options on regular menus.
In some cases, ingredients are slightly adjusted to exclude non-halal items such as mirin and alcohol-based ingredients.
The association plans to launch the Global Muslim-Friendly Hospitality Index, a certification system for hospitality operators that incorporate Muslim-friendly criteria, and it had held discussions about this initiative with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said Mr Marut.
Certified hotels would not need separate halal kitchens, but should be able to direct guests to nearby halal dining options. Rooms should also include a qibla indicator to show the direction of prayer. Higher certification levels will translate to stricter requirements, he said.
"If the project gains recognition among both hospitality providers and Muslim travellers worldwide, it could significantly boost Thailand's tourism," said Mr Marut.
He said with government backing and promotion among hospitality operators, there will be more development of more Muslim-friendly products and services.
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