How to unlock Hong Kong’s halal tourism potential

There have been efforts to bring Muslim tourists to Hong Kong for years, but a lack of focus has rendered these attempts largely ineffective
Rather than concentrate on halal eateries, the city should team up with local Muslim groups to build an ecosystem of amenities which pay dividends

Siddiq Bazarwala

Published: 5:30pm, 23 May 2024

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In recent months, several news reports have highlighted the Hong Kong government’s efforts to attract Muslim tourists to the city. While the plans are reportedly still in the early stages, it is important to ensure that the steps taken are methodical, measurable and transparent.

The market for Muslim tourism is worth billions of dollars. Given the unique and non-homogeneous spending preferences of Muslims, many countries have long been competing in this space.

Following the success of non-Muslim-majority markets such as Singapore, Japan and Thailand in boosting halal tourism, Hong Kong must avoid merely playing catch-up. Instead, the city needs a game-changing strategy to carve out a unique niche in this space.

It is naive to suggest that Malaysians favour Thailand over Hong Kong primarily because of halal food availability. Thailand offers a wealth of attractions such as white sand beaches, island-hopping and diverse family-oriented activities, as well as overall affordability in terms of food, transport and accommodation.

These factors contribute to its appeal to tourists beyond just halal food. Therefore, instead of solely focusing on expanding the number of halal eateries, Hong Kong should also prioritise building an ecosystem of amenities which pay dividends. This should include modest but important initiatives such as encouraging hotels in Hong Kong to offer halal toothpaste, providing small prayer rooms at key tourist locations and organising female-friendly tours and activities run by locals.

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Additionally, large shopping centres could be encouraged to launch special Ramadan shopping festivals to promote halal tourism. Such diverse amenities will enrich the breadth and depth of Hong Kong’s tourism landscape.

By offering a comprehensive ecosystem of conveniences which make visitors’ stay pleasant, Hong Kong can attract glowing testimonials from tourists and business travellers. These positive reviews could rival the impact of any global advertising campaign targeting the same audience.

Furthermore, the Hong Kong government should clearly define the markets it aims to target given the diverse spending preferences of Muslims worldwide. To support this effort, the Hong Kong Tourism Board should collaborate with local Muslim organisations. However, it is worth noting that some of the leading Muslim organisations in Hong Kong are predominantly represented by people from the subcontinent, reflecting the city’s Muslim demographics.

If the government’s goal is to attract tourists from wealthy Gulf nations, it would be prudent to partner with local Muslim organisations whose board members are fluent in Arabic and possess a deep understanding of the culture. Just as we prioritise hiring Mandarin speakers to boost tourism from mainland China, identifying partners who are bilingual in English and Arabic would be essential for effective outreach.

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These organisations should ideally be private-sector companies with white-collar professionals who can relate to the Hong Kong food and beverage industry. The remit of the local organisations must primarily focus on promoting Hong Kong to foreign tourists and business travellers, rather than serving the local Muslim community, as these are two distinct goals that should not be mixed.

Additionally, these organisations should be held to the highest standards and have clear deliverables. Rather than their role as religious organisations, their most important aspect should be the ability to offer clarity and innovation in bringing game-changing ideas that will broaden and deepen the halal ecosystem in Hong Kong, with the ultimate goal of creating real economic value.

The time for half-measures is over. The Hong Kong government first proposed the idea of targeting Muslim tourists in 2018, but the initiatives that followed were scattered and lacked focus. As a result, these efforts largely faltered.

A halal restaurant at Temple Street in Yau Ma Tei. The lack of places where observant Muslims can dine has been cited as one reason Hong Kong has struggled to tap into the halal tourism market. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

To overcome these past shortcomings, transparency and accountability are essential to making halal tourism in Hong Kong a success. Therefore, any person or entity, regardless of size, should have the opportunity to propose how to expand the halal market in Hong Kong through a public tender or technical proposal for expanding halal certification.

Since the aim is to diversify and contribute to the city’s tourism success, Hong Kong should welcome the best and brightest ideas. This approach would allow us to use this opportunity as a sounding board to improve and adapt the current halal certification system in Hong Kong for the benefit of the food and beverage industry, the tourism sector and the local economy.

Siddiq Bazarwala is a Hong Kong resident, author and business strategist. He is the founder and director of the Halal Association of Hong Kong