Hong Kong rolls out Muslim-friendly accreditation system for hotels, tourist attractions

Hong Kong has rolled out a new Muslim-friendly accreditation system for hotels and major tourist attractions to complement its existing halal restaurant credentials.

The Tourism Board also revealed on Thursday the halal certification for Hong Kong’s first Chinese fine-dining eatery, which the board said was a “milestone” in helping the food and beverage sector expand its foray into the Muslim market.

“When you talk about consumers as travellers, their touchpoints are not just our infrastructures,” said Tourism Board Deputy Executive Director Becky Ip Ching-tak.

“There are a lot of [other] things; for example restaurants and hotels.”

Ip said she hoped the board’s increased promotional efforts could lead to inviting more partners to make Hong Kong more Muslim-friendly, so the city could “fully capitalise on the potentials of the Muslim segment”.

CresentRating, a Singapore-based research and consultancy firm focused on the Muslim travel market, was commissioned by the board to rate some of the city’s hotels and tourist attractions according to how Muslim-friendly they were.