A group of Thai experts on Halal Tourism, comprising of Mr. Pakorn Priyakorn, Director of Thailand Halal Standard Institute, Mr. Tawat Noipom, Director of Halal Institute, Prince of Songkla University and Mr. Aree Binprathan, Academic in Thai tourism industry visited Spain during 24-28 June 2019, upon the invitation of the Royal Thai Embassy in Madrid. The objective of the visit is to exchange knowledge and best practices on the development of Halal Tourism between Thailand and Spain.

 

During the visit to Spain, the Thai delegation met with public and private institutions; including representatives of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Tourism and Sport Authority of Andalucia, Tourism Authority of Cordoba, Andalusi Foundation, and Halal Institute Cordoba, to learn of Spain’s Halal Tourism policy and discuss on further cooperation between Thailand and Spain in this field. Exchange of students and cooperation on Halal Gastronomy are among the activities to be carried out in the near future.

 

In 2018, Spain received 82.6 million foreign tourists. One of the major tourist attractions is Andalucia Region where there are several historical sites related to Islamic religion. As the region is popular among Muslim travelers, public and private sectors in the area put the efforts to develop Halal Tourism to attract more and more Muslim travelers. This coincides with the Thai government’s policy to develop Thailand’s Muslim Friendly Destinations. Therefore, Halal Tourism is an area in which Thailand and Spain can develop cooperation to further develop this niche market for both countries.