▲ The Sun Moon Lake Administration advances a Muslim-friendly environment and hosts Muslim tourism briefings. Photo courtesy of the Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area Administration.
[TRAVELRICH Media / Editorial Desk] According to the 2024 Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) jointly released by Mastercard and CrescentRating, Taiwan has placed third among non-OIC destinations for three consecutive years and ranks among the top three non-Muslim countries most visited by Muslim travelers.
To welcome the global market of 1.9 billion Muslim travelers, the Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area Administration of the Tourism Administration, MOTC (hereafter, the Sun Moon Lake Administration) is actively building a Muslim-friendly environment. The Administration is working to strengthen local tourism operators’ understanding of Islamic culture and their capacity to host Muslim visitors, in order to create a friendlier, more convenient, and locally distinctive setting. The goal is to attract more Muslim travelers to Sun Moon Lake and boost the region’s international tourism development.
▲ To help businesses seize Muslim-travel opportunities, the briefing drew an enthusiastic response from operators around Sun Moon Lake. Photo courtesy of the Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area Administration.
To help businesses capture opportunities in the Muslim travel market, the Sun Moon Lake Administration held a briefing in Puli in December 2024, which received an enthusiastic response from operators around Sun Moon Lake. Moving swiftly, on December 22—just ahead of the Lunar New Year—it hosted training and study visits, drawing many well-known scenic sites, hotels, guesthouses, and restaurants from within the Sun Moon Lake Tourism Circle. Through professional briefings on Muslim culture and on-site visits to Muslim-friendly locations, participants deepened their understanding of Muslim travelers’ needs and, by viewing services from the traveler’s perspective, further improved Muslim-friendly service quality.
▲ Training & site visit with Chairman Cheng Tai-Hsiung and Imam Ma Shiao-Chi deepened understanding of Muslim traveler needs. Photo courtesy of the Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area Administration.
To give operators hands-on experience in creating Muslim-friendly environments, the training featured Zheng Taixiang, Chairman of the Taipei Grand Mosque Foundation, and Imam Ma Xiaoqi, an expert in Islamic affairs, who led in-depth sessions on Muslim religious culture and traveler needs, covering key elements such as Halal dining, prayer facilities, accommodation environments, and friendly amenities. Benchmark businesses that have obtained Muslim-friendly certification were also invited to share practical experience in hosting Muslim visitors, as well as the initial concepts and implementation roadmap for building Muslim-friendly environments. The study visits strengthened mutual understanding and exchange among operators; through professional knowledge-sharing and collaboration, there is strong confidence in shaping a Muslim-friendly travel experience at Sun Moon Lake.
The Sun Moon Lake Administration noted that developing the Muslim travel market is not achieved overnight; it is a long-distance effort that requires sustained commitment. This year’s plan offers 20 guidance slots and links participating businesses into two Muslim-friendly travel routes at Sun Moon Lake. It also includes dedicated brochures distributed via multiple channels, making it easier for Muslim travelers to access Muslim-friendly information for the area. Mid-year, the program will hold marketing promotions and a results presentation, and domestic and international tourism operators are invited to participate—joining forces to expand Sun Moon Lake’s influence in the global Muslim travel market. The Administration will continue to deepen the setup of Muslim-friendly facilities and services, working to establish Sun Moon Lake as a top choice for Muslim visitors to Taiwan.
👉 Original News Link: TRAVELRICH Media