3rd International Halal Tourism Congress in Tükiye expects significant advancements by 2030

By Meric Urer

IZMIR, Türkiye (AA) - The 3rd International Halal Tourism Congress, hosted in Türkiye's western province of Izmir, highlights the growing interest in Halal tourism worldwide, with experts predicting significant advancements by 2030.

With Anadolu as its global communication partner, the event, organized in collaboration with Türkiye's Culture and Tourism minister, gathers academics, tourism experts and sector leaders to discuss issues related to halal tourism.

Mehmet Karakas, the Rector of Afyon Kocatepe University, indicated to Anadolu that the increase in the Muslim population globally, along with the rise in Muslim travelers, has spurred activity in Halal tourism. He expects significant progress by 2030.

The first day of the congress on Friday, which was completed with speeches by tourism sector representatives from 16 countries, was followed by scientific presentations Saturday.

They aim to raise awareness about Halal tourism with the congress and emphasized that they have made significant progress since the first congress, said Karakas.

A total of 124 researchers from 55 universities in 24 countries presented 72 scientific studies on the institutional infrastructure of Halal tourism, improving service quality, standardization and development models.

Karakas highlighted the increasing interest in the field, with 300 participants from 40 countries and representation from academia and industry. He stressed the need for institutionalization and urged academics and industry professionals to further explore the significance of Halal accreditation.

- Türkiye can get the 'biggest share of this cake'

Karakas emphasized that Halal tourism is not a standalone sector and should be considered with other Halal concepts. He stressed that customers want to meet all their Halal needs, not just one aspect of the Halal concept.

Highlighting the increasing number of Muslim tourists worldwide, Karakas said: "The Muslim population was large, but the number of tourists was small. It started to increase. Türkiye can get the biggest share of this cake. Steps have been taken in this regard."

The government, NGOs, academia and the industry need to invest more so Türkiye can get the share it deserves. Türkiye has a serious infrastructure in tourism, he said.

Additionally, Türkiye's Halal Accreditation Institution President Zafer Soylu highlighted Ankara's goal to promote its potential for "Muslim-friendly tourism" globally.

"We have received accreditation requests from nearly 170 certification bodies worldwide, with over half coming from abroad," said Soylu.

The institution issued nearly 80 accreditations, providing assurance for over 1,300 products and services in Türkiye and globally, he said.

Soylu emphasized the importance of using the standards of the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries affiliated with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

He also highlighted Malaysia's significant efforts in halal tourism.

The 3rd International Halal Tourism Congress will conclude Sunday with a tour of the ancient city of Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary.