Philippines Plans ‘Halal’ Project for Tourism

The Department of Tourism (DOT) in the Philippines is pushing for “halal consciousness” in the country’s tourist hubs as a way of inculcating respect for the Islamic religion and to attract more Muslim visitors.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) in the Philippines is pushing for “halal consciousness” in the country’s tourist hubs as a way of inculcating respect for the Islamic religion and to attract more Muslim visitors.

Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. said that with the Philippine Halal Tourism Project, launched last week at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, the DOT is looking to capture a larger slice of the $200-billion.

The project, Jimenez said in a statement, was launched in under 100 days with the DOT working with the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), the Halal International Chambers of Commerce and Industries of the Philippines (Hiccip) and Singapore-based Company Crescent Rating.

“The best and most important welcome for visitors is food. And if you are not halal, then there is a very important segment of society worldwide that you are not extending a proper welcome to,” Jimenez said.

Crescent Rating is the leading authority on Muslim travel recognized for its independent rating and accreditation standards worldwide.