The south-central province of Khanh Hoa is proactively laying the stepping stone for the development of a Halal economy, targeting Muslim travellers in Vietnam and from international markets as a new direction to diversify its visitor base and enhance competitiveness.
The move is in line with the Prime Minister's Decision No. 10/QD-TTg dated February 14, 2023, approving a scheme on strengthening international cooperation to build and develop Vietnam’s Halal industry through 2030.
Khanh Hoa boasts many favourable conditions for developing this type of tourism, including political stability, a safe and friendly destination, diverse natural landscapes, year-round sunshine and a system of high-end accommodation establishments.
Following its merger with Ninh Thuan, the province’s tourism development space has expanded with more than 500km of coastline, nearly 200 islands and the four renowned bays of Nha Trang, Cam Ranh, Van Phong and Vinh Hy.
These are strong foundations for Khanh Hoa to develop a diverse range of products from beach relaxation, cruise tourism, water sports, entertainment, health care and high-end wellness tourism.
In particular, local Cham cultural values, heritage sites, traditional craft villages, ecological spaces and community-based tourism products can offer distinctive experiences suited to the growing popularity of experiential, family and cultural tourism among Muslim travellers.
Building a Halal ecosystem
Truong Van Tien, Director of the provincial Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Centre, said Khanh Hoa has developed a quality management plan and policies for Halal products and services, gradually establishing a unified Halal ecosystem with businesses at its core.
Through this approach, he said, Khanh Hoa aims to estabish itself as a Halal-friendly destination while supporting businesses in expanding export markets, attracting strategic partners and investors, and drawing projects from countries with strong Halal logistics, tourism, manufacturing, processing and agriculture sectors.
To develop Halal tourism, the province is also planning products that capitalise on local strengths.
Notably, Tien said, the Khanh Hoa People’s Committee has approved a scheme on developing goat and sheep products into Halal products through 2030. According to the provincial Department of Industry and Trade, the scheme aims to turn the province into a centre for related breeding, processing and exports.
The local development of Halal products and services is being pursued through an interconnected approach covering raw material production, processing, logistics, trade promotion and investment attraction.
Effort made to become an attractive Halal destination
Speaking at the recent Vietnam Halal tourism conference, Bader Almatrooshi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Vietnam, assessed that Khanh Hoa is emerging as one of the country’s most promising destinations for attracting high-spending visitors from the UAE. It has numerous high-end resorts capable of meeting the high standards of service, privacy, amenities and quality expected by the group.
As part of its tourism development strategy, Khanh Hoa is encouraging businesses to invest in hotels, restaurants, resorts and tourist attractions that meet Halal standards.
According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, it will step up promotion activities in key markets including Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, the Middle East and South Asia, while studying ways to expand international air connections. Tourism businesses are developing packages tailored to Halal travellers, covering beach resorts, wellness, golf and MICE tourism, Cham cultural tourism, community-based tourism and ecotourism.
Nguyen Long Bien, Standing Vice Chairman of the Khanh Hoa People’s Committee, said the province will strengthen human resources training and expand cooperation with certification organisations, businesses and international partners.
Khanh Hoa is home to Cam Ranh International Airport, ranked among the four busiest of its kind in Vietnam, with 54 international routes reaching 11 countries and operated by 29 airlines.
As of July, it had welcomed 15.1 million tourist arrivals, up 38.9% year on year, including 5.5 million international visitors, an annual increase of 67.2%. Total tourism revenue exceeded 52.14 trillion VND (1.99 billion USD), up 21.5% year on year.
