TEHRAN – An Iranian tourism official says special attention should be paid to Halal tourism as an emerging economic powerhouse to materialize the goal of attracting 20 million tourists annually by 2025.

“For achieving the goal of drawing 20 million [foreign] tourists under a 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, the country needs to devote considerable attention to Halal tourism,” IRNA quoted Mohammad Moheb-Khodai as saying on Monday.

A subcategory of traveling, Halal tourism is geared toward the specific needs of Muslim individuals who seek to abide by the Islamic rules.

“Unlike its rivals in the hospitality sector, Iran doesn’t need to establish an infrastructure for Halal tourism as all its infrastructures are existing in the country,” said Moheb-Khodai, the deputy director of the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization.  

In this line, the potential of Iranians expats for attracting foreign tourists and the need for offering incentives should be taken into account, he added.

Iran will debut its first International conference on Halal food and business with the motto of “Halal Orientation, The New Global Trend” in Tehran during December 4 to 7, IRIB reported. The conference is expected to raise the country’s share of the global Halal market, the organizers say.

Back in June, the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran (ISIRI) announced plans to establish a set of standards to promote Halal tourism in the country.
The Arabic word Halal refers to what is permissible or lawful in traditional Islamic law; frequently applied to permissible food and drinks. A subcategory of traveling, Halal tourism is geared toward the specific needs of Muslim individuals who seek to abide by the Islamic rules.

In 2016, over 5.5 million foreign travelers from the Middle East, the Americas, Europe and South and East Asia set foot in Iran, fetching close to $8b in revenues.

Filled from corner to corner with ancient bazaars, museums, mosques, monuments, gardens and palaces set inside bustling cities, historical ruins and rich rural landscapes, the country is increasingly filled with camera-wielding Westerners seeking adventure, archeology and art.

AFM/MG