PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA, 9 JUNE 2026: The Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC), an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC), today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Taiwan Halal Certification Development Co., Ltd. (THCD), marking another significant milestone in Malaysia’s efforts to support the growth of Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality (MFTH) globally.
The partnership aims to facilitate the adoption of Malaysia’s Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition (MFAR) programme in Taiwan, strengthening the destination’s ability to serve the growing Muslim travel market through training, standards development and industry capacity building.
Under the MoU, THCD will serve as ITC’s appointed local partner in Taiwan to administer the MFAR programme. This includes undertaking industry outreach, registration, training coordination, site audits, and promotional activities. ITC, in turn, will provide MFAR competency training, auditor capacity-building, technical support, and guidance to ensure the programme is implemented in accordance with established standards and best practices.
The collaboration reflects growing international recognition of Malaysia’s leadership in developing a structured and practical Muslim-friendly tourism ecosystem. It follows closely on the heels of ITC’s recent Memorandum of Mutual Recognition (MoMR) with RusQuality in the Russian Federation, underscoring increasing global interest in Malaysia’s expertise and frameworks in this field.
Commenting on the collaboration, Director-General of Islamic Tourism Centre, Mohammad Faisal Abu Suaib Khan, said:
“This partnership demonstrates the growing confidence that destinations around the world have in Malaysia’s experience and leadership in Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality. More destinations, including those outside the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), are recognising the importance of understanding and serving the Muslim travel market, which continues to grow in size, influence and spending power.”
“The MFAR programme provides a practical roadmap for tourism businesses to enhance their readiness in welcoming Muslim travellers. Ultimately, it is about building trust, assurance and comfort for visitors while creating new economic opportunities for destinations and industry players alike.”
Abdul Razak Nicholas Hsiu of Taiwan Halal Certification Development Co., Ltd. (THCD) welcomed the collaboration, stating:
“THCD is honored to collaborate with the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) Malaysia in promoting Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Services in Taiwan. Through this strategic partnership, we aim to strengthen Taiwan’s Muslim-friendly ecosystem, enhance international cooperation, and support local businesses in meeting the needs of Muslim travelers and consumers. We believe this collaboration will create new opportunities for cultural exchange, tourism development, and sustainable growth between Taiwan and Malaysia.”
The collaboration comes amid growing demand for Muslim-friendly travel experiences worldwide. With nearly two billion Muslims globally, destinations are increasingly seeking structured approaches to cater to this market through enhanced services and facilities that provide greater confidence and convenience for Muslim travellers.
Malaysia has long been recognised as a leading Muslim-friendly destination and has developed comprehensive frameworks, standards and industry capacity-building programmes through ITC to support the growth of the sector. Today, hundreds of tourism industry players in Malaysia have received training and gone on to obtain ITC’s Muslim-friendly recognition, including hotels, travel agencies, tourist guides and spa operators.
The introduction of MFAR in Taiwan is expected to strengthen the destination’s readiness to welcome Muslim travellers while providing a credible and internationally recognised assurance mechanism for visitors seeking Muslim-friendly products and services.
As global interest in Muslim-friendly tourism continues to grow, ITC remains committed to sharing Malaysia’s expertise, research and industry development experience with destinations seeking to build inclusive, sustainable and traveller-centric tourism ecosystems.
The MoU signing ceremony took place during the Negeri Sembilan International Conference on Halal and Sustainability Ecosystems (NICHE) at Royale Chulan Seremban, with Mohammad Faisal and Abdul Razak as the signatories for ITC and THDC, respectively, and Abe Chou, Director Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Kuala Lumpur Office, as witness.
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