Malaysia eyes Türkiye's tourism model for Muslim-friendly travel growth

Malaysia's Islamic Tourism Center director-general Mohammad Faisal bin Abu Suaib Khan said Kuala Lumpur is examining Türkiye's approach to monetizing historical monuments while funding their conservation, citing Ankara's success in balancing commercial use with heritage preservation as a model for Malaysian tourism development.

Heritage monetization and conservation balance

Faisal told Anadolu that maintaining historical sites requires substantial funding, making commercial viability essential for long-term preservation. "Türkiye has experience in managing heritage. The way you monetize historical monuments, and at the same time get the funding to upgrade, take care of and manage them, is very important because conservation is very costly," he said. "We can learn from the way you do business and, at the same time, how you conserve certain monuments and make them good tourist spots."

Transit tourism and layover programs

The director-general highlighted Turkish Airlines' Istanbul layover program as another practice Malaysia hopes to replicate at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, describing his own eight-hour transit experience that included a Bosphorus cruise and historical briefing. "It was a very nice offer because they gave us a small, simple gift that made us want to come again," Faisal said, adding that the trip was crafted "like giving us a teaser, a very good teaser, so that we would come again and stay in Istanbul and enjoy more." He stated that offering similar tours for passengers transiting through KLIA or KLIA2 could convert stopover visitors into return tourists.

Muslim-friendly standards and bilateral exchange

Faisal emphasized that cooperation would flow both ways, with Malaysia offering its Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition framework to complement Türkiye's established infrastructure. The center — operating under Malaysia's Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture — has registered more than 500 Muslim-friendly businesses including 73 hotels and 39 travel agencies, according to its data. "We have the Muslim-friendly assurance recognition, so people who go to Türkiye can find and have a trusted hotel that is Muslim-friendly," he said, noting that Türkiye's Islamic cultural heritage and halal food availability provide a strong foundation for the program.

Global market expansion

Malaysia recorded 9.7 million Muslim visitors in 2025 and targets 15.2 million by 2030, while the recognition framework expands into non-Muslim markets including Russia, Taiwan, Indonesia, South Korea and Brazil through partnerships with halal certification bodies. Faisal said the standards prove particularly valuable in non-Muslim-majority countries where travelers face difficulty identifying suitable services, allowing certification bodies to offer Muslim-Friendly Assurance alongside existing halal products. "We also share and grow together because the market is the same. Instead of fighting for the market, we can grow together," he said, as the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign aims to build on 2025's record of 42.2 million international visitors.