Emerging Islamic market
Though Islam is a minority religion in Taiwan, it is the world’s second-largest faith, with about 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide, or about one-quarter of the global population, mainly concentrated in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. In recent years there has been a rapid increase in the number of Muslims and a rising Muslim middle class, creating growing opportunities for the travel industry. The Global Muslim Travel Index 2019 says, “In 2018 it is estimated that there were 140 million international Muslim visitors,” accounting for some 10% of all international travelers.
Taiwan is located near the Islamic countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei, and its New Southbound Policy encourages closer interactions with these ASEAN members. Although not many Taiwanese citizens are Muslims, when foreign migrant workers and overseas students are added in, there are about 300,000 Muslim residents in Taiwan. To play host to these people and to welcome international tourists, Taiwan has continually worked to promote a Muslim-friendly environment, even during the travel restrictions imposed over the last two years due to Covid-19. Huang Shih-fang, director of the International Affairs Division at the Tourism Bureau, says: “Whether in terms of improving the local travel environment or international marketing, foundational work has not stopped despite the pandemic.”
Ustaz Hj Ishag Ma, who is chairman of the International Muslim Tourism Industry Development Association and also a general consultant to the Taiwan INHART Halal Certification Authority, says that although he has not been able to lead group tours during the last two years, he has instead been giving classes to tourism businesses and government agencies on skills for dealing with Muslim tourists, and doing guidance work to help tourist destinations and facilities earn halal certification.