Halal cuisine to attract Muslim tourists to Philippines
MANILA, Philippines — Making halal cuisine readily available in
tourist destinations will encourage more tourists from Muslim countries
to visit the Philippines.
This is according to officials of the Department of Tourism (DOT),
who on Tuesday stressed the need to intensify the promotion and
availability of halal food.
Halal food would help the country get a bigger share of the global Muslim tourist market, said Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.
“There is a need to make our Muslim tourists and travelers more
welcome by having more establishments cater to their dietary
requirements,” Durano said in a statement.
The DOT co-sponsored the recent National Halal Convention held at the Philippine Trade Training Center in Pasay City.
The two-day event gathered 600 local and national government
officials, Muslim religious leaders and experts, food manufacturers and
exporters, certification professionals, local and international civic
group representatives and diplomats to discuss issues on improving the
production of and access to halal food in key consumer areas in the
country.
“The department is striving to help make halal cuisine available in
our tourist destinations in anticipation of the influx of travelers
from Malaysia and the Gulf States,” said DOT director for product
research and development, Elizabeth Nelle.
The department implements a country-wide program that advocates the
preparation and presentation of halal meals and food products in
hotels, restaurants, resorts and airlines.
