Exploring the Halal tourism market in Vietnam

The Muslim Halal tourism market is a vibrant and potential market, with growing demand from the world's 2.1 billion Muslims (23% of the population), expected to reach 2.5 billion by 2023 (29%).

Khai phá thị trường du lịch Halal tại Việt Nam

Vietnam is a country with potential to develop Halal tourism, with many attractive, rich and diverse destinations. (Source: National Tourism Administration)

According to the Global Muslim Tourism Index 2021, international Muslim tourist arrivals increased from an estimated 108 million in 2013 to 160 million in 2019. Tourism spending is forecast to reach $341.1 billion by 2030.

The countries with the highest number of Muslim tourists are Indonesia, Malaysia, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Non-Muslim countries such as Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore and the UK are also making efforts to attract Muslim tourists by offering Halal and friendly services.

Halal tourism is tourism that complies with Islamic principles and regulations, including services such as food, accommodation, transportation, entertainment and shopping. Muslim tourists are not only interested in famous destinations, but also want to have cultural, religious and social experiences that are consistent with their beliefs.

Vietnam is a country with great potential for developing Halal tourism, with many attractive, rich and diverse destinations. Vietnam also has a Muslim community of about 80,000 people, mainly concentrated in the South and Central Highlands.

However, Vietnam still faces many difficulties and challenges in exploiting this market, such as lack of information, understanding and awareness of Islamic culture; lack of Halal certification for products and services; lack of cooperation and connection with Halal organizations and businesses; lack of strategies and policies to promote Halal tourism. Therefore, Vietnam needs specific solutions to overcome these limitations and take advantage of opportunities from the Halal tourism market.

Buffet party at Halal restaurant at 5-star Delasea Ha Long hotel. (Source: Quang Ninh Department of Tourism)

The above issues will be shared by experts and guests with extensive experience and in-depth understanding of the Halal market at the Workshop "Developing Vietnam's Halal tourism market: Challenges and Opportunities" within the framework of the Ho Chi Minh City International Tourism Fair, September 7, 2023.

Attending the workshop were Mr. Tran Van Tan Cuong - Director of Vietnam National HALAL Company; Mr. Ho Sen You Sof - Business Development Director of Vietnam National HALAL Company; Mr. Ngo Toan Thang, Ambassador of Vietnam in Kuwait; Ms. Wendy Vu, Country Director of Qatar Airways in Vietnam; Mr. Bui Ha Nam, Director of the Middle East and Africa Department (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

Previously, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang were localities that exploited the Halal tourist flow. Most recently, Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province has initially implemented activities to shift services to be friendly to Muslims. Recently, the 5-star Delasea Ha Long Hotel organized to welcome the first group of guests following the Halal tourism trend from India and created a strong impression.

Following Quang Ninh, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City, recently some provinces with good tourism potential have also quickly grasped and sought consultants to move infrastructure and improve the business environment to catch up with the wave of Muslim tourism pouring into Southeast Asia.

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