Thai Government keen to lure Muslim tourists

The Thai Government is developing a strategy to turn Thailand into the region’s hub for halal tourism, spokesman Chai Wacharonke said on Monday.

He added that Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has ordered all tourism-related agencies to promote the country as a Muslim-friendly destination.

His announcement came after Thailand was ranked 5th among non-Organisation of Islamic Cooperation countries on the Global Muslim Travel Index by Crescent rating and Mastercard. The rankings were based on the conveniences offered to Muslin travellers, including halal food options, travel environment and ease of accessing a place of worship.

The halal tourism industry is growing exponentially, with at least 168 million Muslims expected to travel the world this year, a 15% increase compared to pre-pandemic levels, Chai said, highlighting Thailand is attractive to Muslim travellers due to its multicultural atmosphere and wide selection of Muslim-friendly amenities and halal dining options.

A part of the success, he said, was due to the government’s roadmap on halal industry development for 2024-2028, including the establishment of the Thai Halal Industrial Centre that is tasked with boosting the value of the country’s halal products in the wider market.

In the future, the government will set up the National Halal Industry Committee to steer the nation’s efforts to become ASEAN’s hub for halal products, he said.