Promoting Muslim Travelers to Taiwan, Tourism Bureau Issues Halal Hospitality Certification

Text & Photography / Kao Wei-yi, Chi Bing-hui

In order to expand Taiwan’s tourism industry, the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications has been actively promoting Muslim travel to Taiwan since 2008, while also enhancing Taiwan’s reception environment. After three years of dedicated guidance and promotion, on July 15th, the Bureau officially awarded the first batch of “Halal Hospitality Certifications” to 14 domestic tourism service providers that met the standards, signaling that Taiwan’s environment for receiving Muslim travelers now meets international standards and can offer them a safe and welcoming experience.

The Halal (Halal) Hospitality Certification means that ingredients, kitchen utensils, and dining spaces must all undergo rigorous handling methods approved by Islamic standards. Islam has very strict dietary regulations, prohibiting pork and alcohol, while also emphasizing health and hygiene. The 14 Taiwanese businesses that received this certification include Enjoy Kitchen Fusion Restaurant, Taj Indian Restaurant, Not Your Ordinary Snacks, Anli Home Indian Halal Food, Ai Family Halal Yellow Beef Noodle Shop, Yilan Shangri-La Leisure Farm, Hualien Far Eastern Yu Lai Hotel Qiucao Hall, Alibaba’s Kitchen, Thai Emperor Restaurant, Thai Xiang Yun Restaurant, Halal Kunming Garden, Halal Thai Fuhao Restaurant, Yun Tai Hui Cuisine, and Ocean Park Moby Dick Restaurant.

Currently, Muslims make up about a quarter of the global population, roughly equivalent to the size of the global Chinese market, with the two combined accounting for nearly half of the world’s population. The outbound travel population from the Islamic world has seen significant growth in recent years, and their spending power cannot be ignored. Malaysia and Indonesia, which have been listed by the Tourism Bureau as key emerging overseas markets, both have very high proportions of Muslim populations, and the Islamic market is expected to become another major tourism opportunity following China.