LIFESTYLE - TOURISM - Sultanate to showcase Islamic tourism at Travel Mart 2010

SHEIKH Jamaluddin Sheikh Mohamed, director of the Brunei Tourism Board (BTB), said he will be using the upcoming International Islamic Conference and Travel Mart 2010 in Kuala Lumpur as an avenue to promote Brunei's Islamic holiday package.

The tourism board director said the board has been working closely with the State Mufti's Office to come up with a package in which tourists would be able to view and experience various Islamic artifacts and manuscripts that Brunei is in possession of.

"All these artifacts and manuscripts are right at our doorstep, and it would not just be targeted towards Muslim tourists, but also non-Muslim tourists, who wish to know more about Islam," he said.

Sheikh Jamaluddin will be a speaker for the forum during a session involving Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) member countries and will discuss new destinations for 'Islamic Travel and Tourism' as well as ways to tap into these growing markets.

He will be joined by fellow tourism experts such as Tuan Haji Azizan Noordin, acting director general for Tourism Malaysia, and an ambassador from the OIC countries, which is yet to be confirmed.

The conference will be held at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur from October 28 to 29.

According to the press statement from Tourism Malaysia, the forum was "inspired by the recent World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF2010)" and seeks to focus on issues that will enhance industry products and practioners' understanding of the "myriad opportunities of ever-growing numbers of Muslim travelers".

"I plan to use the forum as a platform to promote Islamic tourism, in Brunei, because Brunei is well known globally as a very strong Islamic country," he said. During the conference, a Travel Mart will also be held simultaneously. The Travel Mart is expected to have an attendance of at least 100 international buyers. There will also be expected sellers from major markets around the world such as South Korea, China, Singapore, Brunei, the United Kingdom, Azerbajian and India.

According to the press statement, Malaysian Prime Minister Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak is expected to officiate the event. Various key speakers and industry experts are expected to present their paper during the conference including Tun Musa Hitam, chairman of the World Islamic Economic Forum Foundation, Azran Osman Rani, chief executive officer of AirAsia X and Imtiaz Muqvil from Islamic Travel Newswire.

He said that one of the advantages that Brunei has is that the majority of all the restaurants in Brunei cater to the halal market.

"We want to be able to push this package in the market, and we plan to officially launch it next year during the Asean Tourism Forum (ATF) in January, which will be held in Cambodia," he said.

"You have to remember that we are not just targeting Muslims, but also non-Muslims," he said.

He went on to reveal that the board will be teaming up with local travel agent Darussalam Holdings Sdn Bhd to put together a three-day package, which includes a visit to the State Mufti's office to view the artifacts followed by a tour of Brunei.

Source : http://www.bt.com.bn/business-national/2010/10/05/sultanate-showcase-islamic-tourism-travel-mart-2010 - Oct 5, 2010