Muslim visitors enjoy experiencing Yen Tu cultural space

Proactive and ready to welcome Muslim guests

According to information from Tung Lam Yen Tu Development Joint Stock Company, on October 4-5, for the first time, this unit welcomed a group of nearly 100 Muslim tourists to experience the cultural space at Yen Tu Scenic Area. This is one of the results of promoting and attracting this special tourist stream of Quang Ninh province in recent times.

Tourists from Malaysia explore cultural space in Yen Tu

The Muslim guests were mostly Malaysian nationals. They were officers and employees of a petroleum company, visiting and relaxing at Yen Tu (Uong Bi City, Quang Ninh) for 4 days and 3 nights.

To serve this special type of guest, recently, the accommodation and culinary services of Truc Lam Yen Tu Cultural Center have been carefully and professionally prepared according to "Halal standards" (permitted standards, according to the rules of Islam), so everything is not too confusing.

Mr. Michael Keller, General Manager of Legacy Yen Tu Resort, said that the unit has organized many professional training sessions for service staff on the characteristics, habits, and culture of communication and behavior of Muslim tourists.

Muslim guests enjoy Halal food at Legacy Yen Tu Resort

"Legacy Yen Tu resort often has menus for vegetarians, so serving Muslim guests is not too surprising for us. In addition, we have added many special dishes for these guests such as chicken curry, rice noodles... In particular, we arrange a prayer area when guests have a need," added Mr. Michael Keller.

Feelings about the tour and vacation at Yen Tu, Mr. Mohamad Adli (Malaysia), a member of the group, excitedly shared: "The food here has a slightly different flavor compared to our hometown, but we really like it. The chef at the restaurant 'bragged' to us that the chicken curry, fish... are all agricultural products of Quang Ninh province".

"What we enjoy most about coming to Yen Tu scenic complex is that this place has beautiful primeval forests, diverse cultural and historical spaces that everyone wants to learn about. The fresh air is suitable for many members to practice sports, yoga...", Mr. Adli added.

Talking to Thanh Nien , Mr. Le Trong Thanh, Deputy General Director of Tung Lam Development Joint Stock Company, said that Yen Tu Scenic Area has full infrastructure and privacy to serve groups of visitors from Muslim countries to avoid mixing. In particular, Legacy Yen Tu Resort has a closed food system, with organic vegetable gardens and ecological farms where tourists can visit and enjoy directly.

Building a "Halal standard" ecosystem

According to the National Tourism Administration, Muslims number more than 1.7 billion, accounting for nearly a quarter of the world's population, with nearly 300 million Muslims in Southeast Asia alone. Muslims love to travel and are the group with the highest spending on tourism in the world, so destination countries always pay special attention to this group of visitors.

Muslim tourists visit and learn about cultural space at Yen Tu

According to the Global Muslim Index Report, the number of Muslims traveling around the world has increased rapidly in recent years. If in 2013 there were about 108 million Muslim tourists, by 2019 it had reached 160 million.

After 2 years of the pandemic, the recovery rate of the Muslim tourist market has gradually stabilized since 2021. In 2023, it is forecasted that about 140 million Muslim tourists will travel around the world. By 2028, it is estimated that about 230 million Muslim tourists will travel abroad, spending up to 225 billion USD. However, the number of Muslim tourists coming to Vietnam is still modest.

Director of the National Tourism Administration Nguyen Trung Khanh said that the "Halal standard" ecosystem is still not complete and diverse in Vietnam, making it difficult to attract potential tourists.

"Localities and businesses need to expand their restaurant networks, build prayer places specifically for Muslims in public areas, restaurants, hotels, entertainment venues... to ensure privacy and convenience for customers everywhere, at all times," said Mr. Khanh.

Quang Ninh Department of Tourism informed that after the Covid-19 pandemic, traditional tourist flows such as China and South Korea to this locality have decreased significantly. Faced with this situation, Quang Ninh province has planned to exploit new, potential markets such as India and some Muslim countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, etc.

To proactively welcome potential and special visitors from Muslim countries, according to Ms. Nguyen Huyen Anh, Deputy Director of the Quang Ninh Department of Tourism, the unit has advised the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee to prioritize cooperation in developing a network of direct flights to India and Muslim countries.

Quang Ninh province is making efforts to promote and attract Muslim tourists.

This locality has a system of "Halal standard" resorts and restaurants that can serve thousands of guests per day. At the end of September, a group of 30 people also visited Ha Long. This is also the first time the locality welcomed Indian guests according to "Halal standard". A few days ago, Yen Tu Scenic Area also welcomed 100 Muslim guests, which shows positive signs in expanding and exploiting this potential market.

Mr. Hosen Yousof, Business Development Director of Vietnam National Halal Company Limited, shared: "Muslim tourists also like to experience new lands, close to nature; experience food from organic agriculture such as: seafood, green vegetables, organic agricultural products... These are unique advantages of Vietnam in general and Quang Ninh in particular. Therefore, if we can take advantage of these advantages on the basis of respecting beliefs and culture, Vietnam in general, Quang Ninh in particular, will become an attractive destination for Muslim tourists."

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/khach-hoi-giao-thich-thu-trai-nghiem-khong-gian-van-hoa-yen-tu-185231006094002898.htm