The Tourism Bureau yesterday said it aimed to have 50 restaurants certified as Muslim-friendly as it looks at options to further tap into the Muslim tourist market.
Eric Lin (林坤源), director of the bureau’s international travel division, said Muslim tourists visiting Taiwan mainly come from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and northwest China.
The bureau hopes to see 10 percent growth in tourist arrivals from each of those countries this year, Lin said.
Photo: Tseng Hung-ju, Taipei Times
The frequency of broadcasts of television commercials on traveling in Taiwan in Malaysia has increased, he said, adding that the bureau has also worked with travel agencies to organize tours.
“The nation drew about 6 million tourists last year,” Lin said. “The population of Muslim countries is approximately 1.7 billion, which presents a high potential for international visitors.”
The “Muslim-Friendly Restaurant” certification was handled by the Chinese Muslim Association.
Association secretary-general Salahuddin Ma Chao-yen (馬超彥) said the main purpose of the certification was to let Muslims around the world know that there are Muslims in Taiwan as well.
Based on the certification guidelines, restaurants must ensure that the food offered to Muslims is prepared according to Islamic law. The guidelines also have specific instructions for various items, ranging from buying from certified halal food suppliers and seasonings to cookware.
The service personnel must also receive training on the “dos and don’ts” of hosting according to Muslim customs.
Eleven restaurants nationwide have already been certified as Muslim-only businesses — which serve only halal food — while there are seven Muslim-friendly eateries — businesses that serve both halal and non-halal food.
Restaurants in some amusement parks, such as Leofoo Village Theme Park in Hsinchu County, are among those that have been certified.
Jozo Chen (陳怡穎), marketing specialist at Shangrila Leisure Farm in Yilan County, said the farm hosted about 1,000 Muslim tourists last year.
“Apart from the food, they [Muslim tourists] also require a separate dining area to eat,” Chen said. “We must also have arrow signs [pointing to Mecca] for their daily prayers and proper washing facilities in the hotel rooms.”
Chen said the cost of hosting Muslims is slightly higher than that of non-Muslim tourists, but the certification would help the hotel attract more tourists from Muslim nations.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
RSS