Taiwan, China target Muslim travellers

TAIWAN and China are rolling out a series of initiatives to capture a larger share of the Muslim outbound market from Malaysia.

To grow the segment, the Taiwan Visitors Association this year distributed in Malaysia 20,000 free copies of the Traveling in Taiwan for Muslims guide book, which lists mosques and halal eateries, as well as Muslim-friendly attractions and accommodation in Taiwan.

“We have more than 100 halal restaurants in Taiwan,” said Tony Wu, director, Kuala Lumpur Office, Taiwan Visitors Association, adding that the office was planning to invite Malaysian media on a fam trip next year to showcase the destination’s attractions and offerings.

While Wu admits that Taiwan’s share of Muslim visitors from Malaysia is currently “not big”, his office is aiming to boost the segment next year to 10 per cent of the targeted 400,000 Malaysian arrivals, up from this year’s five per cent share of 350,000 arrivals.

This year also marks the first time the China National Tourist Office (CNTO) has its eye on the Muslim market in Malaysia, with the NTO organising several fam trips for Malaysian media and outbound travel consultants.

The most recent one, from October 10 to 18, was to Shanghai and Chinese provinces with large Muslim populations such as Ningxia and Gansu, said Tian Xin, director, CNTO Singapore. “We want to showcase our tourism attractions in China, our delicious food and shopping,” he said.

CNTO’s target is to grow its annual share of visitors from Malaysia to 1.5 million over the next few years, up from last year’s 1.24 million.

Sourced: TTG Asia