DOT wants more Muslim-friendly tourist destinations, establishments

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism (DOT) is pushing for the country to have more “Muslim-friendly” travel destinations and spaces as it aims to draw in more Muslim visitors by next year.

Launching the country’s first “Muslim-Friendly Travelogue of the Philippines,” DOT Secretary Christina Frasco said the tourism guide for both local and foreign visitors aims to make the travel experience more inclusive and “acceptable” by catering to the concerns and needs of Muslim tourists.

The three-volume book features the “deep roots of Islam” in local communities, Halal destinations and accommodations, as well as Muslim-friendly culinary experiences.

“This travelogue builds on that momentum by connecting more visitors to other destinations, encouraging longer stays, more expenditure, and ensuring that tourism benefits our local communities,” Frasco said during the launch.

Among the concrete initiatives for this venture, she noted, are partnering with hotels and other accommodations as well as public infrastructure, such as airports and seaports, for the conversion of their establishments and buildings to become Muslim-friendly.

“On our end, we’re making sure that our tourist rest areas, for example in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, have dedicated prayer rooms,” Frasco told reporters on the sidelines of the event. “So we would really appreciate the help and the partnership of everyone to make sure that this effort succeeds.”

The tourism chief noted the steady number of tourist arrivals from Muslim-heavy nations such Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“And we’re hopeful that next year it will become bigger,” Frasco said, referring to DOT’s Arabian Travel Market held in May this year.

Based on the latest statistics from the DOT, UAE ranked 20th in terms of visitor arrivals in the Philippines, with more than 27,000 tourists entering the country from January to September this year. Saudi Arabia came in 27th, with 16,300 arrivals recorded in the same period. /das

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