KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 — Russia and Malaysia are set to boost Muslim-friendly tourism through a new partnership between Russia’s halal certification body, Roskachestvo, and Malaysia’s Islamic Tourism Centre.
According to a Facebook post by the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Malaysia, a memorandum of cooperation was signed during the 4th Islamic Tourism Conference recently. The agreement was inked by Roskachestvo’s head Maxim Protasov and Islamic Tourism Centre’s director-general Nizran Noordin.
“The memorandum is aimed at strengthening and developing a Muslim-friendly ecosystem within the tourism sector. The plan is to align the certification requirements for hotels and hospitality businesses with Muslim-friendly standards,” the posting added.
According to the embassy, in spring 2024, “Roskachestvo-Halal” began certifying tourism services according to Muslim-friendly standards, which were developed based on the international experience of over 30 countries.
Moscow, St Petersburg, Tatarstan, Dagestan, and other regions of Russia are popular among Muslim tourists, and the new standard will make it considerably easier for them to select comfortable accommodation and leisure options, the posting further said.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Tourism Centre on its Facebook said the memorandum signed was the key outcome of Malaysia-Russia Working Group held during the KazanForum in May this year. — Bernama