Developing Halal tourism in Khanh Hoa Province

The People's Committee of Khanh Hoa Province has recently issued a Plan for developing Halal tourism in the province. The plan aims to implement the Deputy Prime Minister's directives on developing Halal tourism in Khanh Hoa, while aligning with the Provincial Tourism Development Strategy for the 2026 - 2030 period with a vision to 2045, and the Project on developing goat and sheep products into Halal products in Khanh Hoa Province until 2030.

The goal of the plan is to leverage advantages in resources, infrastructure, accommodation facilities, and services to step by step establish a synchronized, professional Halal tourism supply chain that is friendly to Muslim visitors. In the 2026 - 2027 period, the province will review and assess the fulfillment capacity of accommodation facilities, restaurants, resorts, tourist attractions, and travel businesses. In the 2028 - 2030 period, the province will implement Muslim-friendly service models, striving to have 3 hotels meeting friendly standards, 5 restaurants meeting Halal culinary standards, and 3 model tour routes. Each year, the province will organize 1 training class on culture, customs, beliefs, and skills in serving Muslim visitors for tourism workers.

To achieve the above goals, the province focuses on synchronously implementing multiple tasks and solutions. Regarding products, the province prioritizes sea and island resort tourism, family tourism, healthcare, and MICE, combined with experiencing craft villages of swiftlet nests and agarwood, and exploring Cham and Raglai cultures. Service facilities are encouraged to voluntarily arrange prayer spaces, develop Halal menus, and step by step adopt appropriate standards and certifications. The province's OCOP products are also supported in accessing this market.

In addition, the province will organize training and knowledge improvement programs on culture, customs, beliefs, needs, and consumer behavior of Muslim visitors; focus on training skills in serving Muslim visitors for managers, tour guides, and hotel and restaurant staff; and strengthen training in rare foreign languages.

Promotion and marketing activities will be renovated towards applying digital transformation, integrating Halal tourism content into provincial promotion programs, and deploying QR code scanning points at Cam Ranh Airport. The province will also promote service linkages by expanding flight routes to Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and the Middle East, and establishing a Halal Tourism Alliance connecting travel agencies, airlines, and hotels. 

Along with that, the province will step up food safety inspections at dining establishments and food streets; and strictly handle soliciting, theft, and online scams such as fake room bookings and fake tours.

The Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to take the lead in implementing the plan; urge, inspect, and supervise the implementation; and compile and report the results to the Provincial People's Committee. Specifically, the department is tasked with coordinating with relevant agencies and units to guide and inspect the reception and service of Halal tourists to ensure safety and compliance with regulations; collaborating with the Provincial Tourism Association and enterprises to select and deploy pilot models and enhance service quality to attract Halal tourists; and partnering with the Provincial Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center to step up the promotion of Khanh Hoa tourism on digital platforms, in the press, and on social networks…

Departments, sectors, localities, the Provincial Tourism Association, Cam Ranh International Terminal Joint Stock Company, airlines, and tourism businesses were also assigned specific tasks in product development, ensuring security and safety for tourists, human resource training, promotional activities, and expanding services to cater to Muslim tourists.

XUAN THANH