The Department of Tourism (DOT) is eyeing to entice more Muslim tourists to visit the country by developing more Muslim-friendly tourist destinations.
Tourism Undersecretary Myra Paz Valderrosa Abubakar said the DOT has issued a memorandum circular to owners and managers of hotels and other partners to turn their establishments into a more Muslim-friendly place.
“Hindi naman po mahirap gawin itong mga guidelines, simple lang naman po and we’re actually rolling that out that now sa iba-ibang rehiyon po dito sa Pilipinas (It’s nota difficult to follow these guidelines, their simple and we’re actually rolling that out in all the regions of the Philippines),” she said during a “Laging Handa” briefing.
The DOT official said they recently launched the country’s Halal culinary video showing Muslim-friendly foods of the Philippines.
Also featured in the video are Muslim-friendly restaurants in the country, she added.
Abubakar said they are eyeing Mindanao as the main destination for Muslim tourists since the majority of people dwelling there are Muslims.
She said Mindanao has many tourist sites, especially Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) provinces such as Basilan and Tawi-Tawi.
The tourism department has also asked airports and malls to set up prayer rooms and Halal-certified restaurants for Muslims.
Meanwhile, Abubakar called on vloggers to promote the beauty of Mindanao in their videos, urging them to lure Muslim tourists to Mindanao.