Lyna Mohamad
The halal tourism sector in the Sultanate needs to be based on Maqasid Syariah to ensure that the services are in place, including an ablution spot and the qiblat, to support the industry, said Director of the Halalan Thayyiban Research Centre at Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) Pengiran Dr Hajah Norkhariah binti Pengiran Haji Hashim.
The centre director was one of the speakers at yesterday’s International Seminar on Halal Tourism and Hospitality (ISHTaH), under the Brunei Mid-Year Conference and Exhibition 2022 (Brunei MYCE 2022) at the International Convention Centre in Berakas.
She also suggested the use of technology to attract potential tourists, through the use of a smartphone app, to promote holiday packages.
Meanwhile, Dr Fahmi Zaidi bin Abdul Razak of the Research Management Centre at Universiti Islam Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah said the demand for halal tourism has penetrated the global market, thus it is high time to increase activities in halal-related industries.
He also called on relevant parties to take note of current issues and reference them in formulating strategies to counter challenges.
Dr Heri Pratikto at the Halal Centre of Universitas Negeri Malang in Indonesia noted that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesia was the top halal tourist destination as travellers were attracted to the uniqueness of its culture and environment.
However, he also believes Indonesia needs to upgrade its service quality in the tourism sector to draw more visitors to the country.
The event also saw the announcement of winners of a poster design competition: Hakimah Yaacob, Sri Rahayu Dollah and Siti Nuramal Faezza binti Haji Zidi with ‘Right to Halal Foods in International Human Rights Treaties’; Mohd Aizat Jamaludin, Dr Siti Syahirah Saffinee, Betania Kertika and Sharina Abdul Halim with ‘Muslim Friendly Tourism and Geotourism Product in Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark’; and Nadzirah Julkifli with ‘Significance of Halal Logo in Muslim Consumers Purchase Intention on Local Halal Meat in Brunei Darussalam’.
Meanwhile, the Best Presenter awards went to Maryana Mohamad Nor on ‘Halal Products in Malaysia: A Bibliometric Analysis’; Nurul Farhana Hamdan on ‘Preliminary Research of the Credibility Procedure of Halal Supervisor in Brunei Darussalam’; Mohamed Syazwan Ab Talib on ‘Sustainable Halal Food Supply Chain: A Structure, Conduct and Performance Framework’; and Mohd Aizat Jamaludin on ‘Muslim Friendly Tourism and Geotourism Product in Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark’.
