Halal is a standard based on Islamic law, which includes specific regulations regarding dietary rules, the origin of food, and preparation methods. Halal tourism is growing rapidly worldwide.

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Mr. Tran Van Tan Cuong, Director of the Vietnam National Halal Company, stated that the global Halal food market currently serves over 2 billion Muslims. Notably, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the South Pacific are potential export markets for Halal products, with around 860 million Muslims consuming Halal food.

Moreover, many non-Muslims in major economies such as China, Japan, the USA, and the European Union (EU) are increasingly favoring Halal products, as these items meet high standards of food safety, hygiene, and environmental protection.

According to Mr. Tran Van Tan Cuong, more supermarkets and hypermarkets are stocking Halal products to attract Muslim consumers. The Southeast Asian Halal food market alone is valued at 230 billion USD. However, Vietnam’s exports of Halal products remain modest.

Beyond cuisine, Muslim tourism is recovering quickly after the pandemic. Statistics from travel agencies show a rapid increase in the number of Muslim tourists from Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia visiting Vietnam. Many major cities in Vietnam are increasingly attracting Muslim tourists from Southeast Asia and other regions, such as the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas.

However, Vietnam still lacks sufficient Halal-compliant accommodation, dining facilities, prayer spaces, and shopping venues to serve Muslim tourists effectively.

To attract more Muslim tourists to Vietnam in the future, Mr. Hosen Yousof, CEO of Halatrip Vietnam JSC, suggests that regulatory agencies and tourism operators need to collaborate to develop a comprehensive approach. This includes creating a unified set of guidelines for managing and exploiting Halal tourism services, building a fully equipped and appealing service infrastructure, and training Halal personnel according to international standards to serve international tourists. This training should cover communication skills, service processes, and the unique needs of Muslim guests.

Additionally, it is essential to develop communication strategies that enhance the image and reputation of the Halal brand in the eyes of the global Muslim community. Efforts should be made to strengthen exchanges, promote bilateral trade and tourism with Muslim countries, and produce a variety of Halal-certified products to meet the shopping and consumption needs of Muslim consumers.

Additionally, the Vietnam National Halal Company recently awarded Halalfood and Halal Kitchen certification to the second-floor food section of the Spices Taste of Indian restaurant at 37 Quang Trung (Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi), owned by Vielanka Co., Ltd., after three months of assessment, consulting, training, and implementing evaluation processes.

The Halalfood for Muslim announcement event at the Spices restaurant had two fundamental objectives: fostering business connections and creating collaboration opportunities between Spices, stakeholders, the Vietnamese tourism business community, and the Muslim community.

Mr. Dinh Huu Phuc, Director of Public Relations at Berlin Love Vietnam Company, stated that the company plans to export its two main products, Tre Bleaf tea leaves and Tre Balala mineral water, to the Middle East market. He hopes to use this event to find potential customers and obtain international Halal certification for these products.