By, Hamdan Azmi
PAGOH, 14 MAY 2026: Today, a forum titled “Halal Awareness: Insights into Muslim-friendly Travel Across Different Countries” was organised by International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART) was held in Kulliyyah of Sustainable Tourism and Contemporary Languages (KSTCL) at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) featuring two figures from Indonesia, one from India, and lastly a local Malaysian.
The moderator for the program was Amin Firdaus from Indonesia, along with Nuril Imiawansyam as one of the panelists also from Indonesia, Sareena Siddiqui, the sole female panelist from India, and finally Muzzammil, a local industry insider. The selection of the panelists made by the organiser clearly demonstrate a great care in ensuring diverse perspectives are included in the discussion.
Among the topics discussed were the difference between the term halal and Muslim-friendly in context of tourism, common misconceptions surrounding the industry, current practices in the industry, and other related subjects asked by the audience during the Questions & Answers (Q&A) session.
When asked if the forum is important and should be held again in the future, most of the guests answered with their own perspectives.
“The forum was important for tourism, especially Muslim-friendly tourism, in fostering the awareness to incorporate elements of Muslim religiosity that must be included in the travel packages. …(The Muslim-friendly market) is promising, and (tourism operator) should seize the opportunity (to further develop the industry),” replied Br. Amin Firdaus, the forum moderator.
Br. Nuril Imiawansyam, one of the panelists also added that the forum was, “…beneficial for the students, especially when the talk was about the Muslim-friendly concept which provides the solutions for the majority of Muslim travellers (from countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia where the population of Muslims there are high in numbers) while travelling to distant countries where difficulties in fulfilling religious obligations are most common.”
The forum ended with guests receiving appreciation gifts and certificates as well as having their photos captured.***
Pictures taken during the forum
