World Islamic Tourism Mart to be held from May 31 to June 2

To promote Islamic tourism to both Muslims and non-Muslims, the World Islamic Tourism Mart 2012 (WITM 2012) will be held for the first time from May 31 to June 2 at the Putra World Trade Centre.

It is organised by the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) in collaboration with Tourism Ministry, United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Tourism Malaysia, Information, Communication and Culture Ministry, Trade and Industry Ministry and Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH). Sponsors for the event are Etihad Airways and Maybank Islamic.

WITM 2012 will feature three events which include a business-to-business (B2B) networking session where buyers meet sellers, consumer travel fair (B2C) and WITM incomthu conference.

Vacation deals: (from left) Mohd Khalid, Nor Sharizan, Lim and Zarinah looking at a WITM 2012 booklet.

The B2B session will be held at the Tun Hussein Onn and Tun Dr Ismail Hall from May 31 and June 1. Here, top management from the travel and tourism industry will network with Malaysian and other international industry bigwigs to expand and enhance their business in order to provide new products, new destinations and tour package deals. Currently, buyers and sellers from 40 countries have been confirmed. The B2C, which offers various consumer products, is expected to attract some 25,000 visitors over the three days.

Meanwhile, the conference, going on its sixth year would include a few well-known figures. Some of the interesting topics would be “Eradicating Islamo-phobia to Enhance Tourism”, “Syariah Compliance in the Hotel Industry” and “Global Muslim Lifestyle Travel Market — Landscape and Consumer Needs.”

MATTA president Datuk Mohd Khalid Harun said WITM 2012 was projected to enhance the unrealised potential of the Muslim tourism sector as they were over 1.7 billion Muslims worldwide and a growing affluent Muslim society. “WITM 2012 is not about selling umrah and haj package deals alone as it is about a consumer travel fair, a business-to-business travel exchange and an international conference about the sectors of the tourism industry with emphasis on Muslim tourism.

“The Muslim tourism market is a goldmine waiting to be tapped. More and more travel agents and tour operators in Malaysia are setting up Muslim departments within their company to offer Muslim tour package deals,” he said during a press conference on May 15. Also present were WITM 2012 chairman Zarinah Hashim, Etihad Airways country manager Jeffrey Lim and Maybank Islamic Berhad product management head Nor Sharizan Sulaiman.

For details, call 03-9222 1155 or visit www.witm.matta.org.my

-thestar online.