KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is ranked as the top Halal Friendly Holiday Destination for 2012 among 10 member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Crescentrating.com, a travel portal for Halal-conscious Muslim travellers, said that Malaysia was placed on the top spot because it has much to offer to Muslim travellers.
Second was Egypt, followed by Turkey, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, Brunei and Qatar, according to the survey conducted by the portal.
Crescentrating.com said that the rankings were compiled based on the facilities and services provided by those countries to Muslim visitors, such as Halal food, Halal-certified restaurants, availability of mosques and family-friendly attractions.
The portal also conducted a survey of Halal Friendly Holiday Destinations in non-OIC countries for 2012.
Top of that list was Bosnia and Herzegovina. Second was Singapore, followed by South Africa, Sri Lanka, Gold Coast (Australia), Delhi (India), London (UK), Bangkok (Thailand), Munich (Germany) and Vienna (Austria).
“Bosnia and Herzegovina is ranked as the most Halal Friendly Holiday Destination in a non-OIC country because this crossroad, where East meets West, is an eclectic mix of traditional masjids and modern ski resorts, giving its tourists the best of both worlds,” Crescentrating said.
It said that all of the non-OIC countries listed have basic Halal-friendly facilities available as well, though they may not be as common or as popular as in OIC countries.
These destinations offer unique surroundings, atmospheres and attractions for visitors, the portal added.
Consultancy group AT Kearney, a global management firm, said that “the Halal market is estimated to be around US$2 trillion, underpinned by one of the fastest growing religions in the world.”
There are between 1.5 billion to 2.0 billion Muslims worldwide. — BERNAMA
