The State of Melaka encourages more State hotel operators to apply for Muslim-Friendly Accommodation Recognition (MFAR) certificate to raise more revenue from local Muslim tourists.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali said that the tourism sector, which is Muslim friendly, has great potential and is important in attracting more Muslim tourists to the State.

“I hope other hotels in Melaka would follow in the footsteps of the MITC Hotel, the first hotel in the state to receive the MFAR, which in turn can attract more domestic and international tourists, especially from the Middle East to come and visit this historical state.

“In fact, Islamic tourism is gaining popularity among both local and foreign Muslim tourists,” he said in a press conference after visiting the Urban Transformation Centre here.

There are about 300 hotels in Melaka.

On Thursday, during the MFAR launch in Sepang, Selangor, MITC hotel was the first hotel in Melaka accredited by the Minister for Tourism, Arts, and Culture in the Melaka International Trade Center (MITC) in Ayer Keroh.

The MFAR was introduced in July last year in an effort to attract more Muslim travellers from around the world - a market segment that is expected to involve some 230 million tourists by 2026.