Savvy destinations that adapt to serve halal food and provide prayer rooms are reaping the benefits of an increase in tourism by visitors from Southeast Asia and the Middle East
J apan is rolling out the red carpet to visitors from Muslim nations, with qiblah (arrows pointing towards Mecca) appearing in hotel rooms, prayer rooms being signposted in airports and commercial complexes, and halal food becoming a staple in restaurants and the cafeterias of companies that conduct business with firms from Muslim states.
There has been a steady growth in the number of Muslims opting to settle in Japan. Halal meals first became available on menus about a decade ago, but the nation’s recent tourism boom is driving supply and demand.
The total number of tourist arrivals in Japan in 2016 surpassed 24 million, well ahead of the 20 million target set by the national government for 2020. And tourists from Muslim nations accounted for a growing number of the arrivals.
According to the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) , nearly 271,000 Indonesians travelled to Japan in 2016, up from just 63,000 in 2009. Similarly, more than 394,000 Malaysians arrived last year, up from 89,000 seven years ago.
The sharp increase in arrivals from Southeast Asia is in part due to the Japanese government relaxing visa requirements, the growth in low-cost airlines serving Japan and a growing middle class with a larger disposable income, according to the JNTO. Yet another contributing factor has been the ease with which Muslim travellers can have their specific needs met.
“There have been a combination of factors that are behind these impressive figures, including the low yen rate, which has made holidays in Japan much more affordable for people from Southeast Asia, in particular, ” said Susah Ong, deputy director of the JNTO office in Singapore.
“But I also think that the Japanese travel sector has become more receptive to overseas visitors, ” she said.
Shigeru Yamashita opened the Syariah Hotel Fujisan specifically to meet the needs of Muslim travellers in July 2016. “I opened the hotel in order for Muslims to feel comfortable when they visit Japan, ” he said.
“All the meals that we serve are Japanese dishes but prepared using halal ingredients, ” he told This Week in Asia .
