Korea
will step up efforts to increase certified halal foods and restaurants to
enhance convenience for a growing number of Muslim tourists from the Middle
East and Southeast Asian nations, the government said Thursday.
Halal
food refers to food products that are prepared in a specific way according to
Islamic Sharia law, which covers not only meat but also fruits and vegetables.
The
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism unveiled a set of measures to foster
the halal food industry and enhance infrastructure for Muslim travelers in a
trade and investment promotion meeting chaired by President Park Geun-hye.
Korea has
welcomed a growing influx of Muslim travelers thanks to the rising popularity
of Korean pop culture and medical tourists from the Middle East.
"The
number of tourists from the Middle East has steadily increased with the help of
the Korean Wave over the past years," the ministry said in a release.
"We have to enhance the tourism infrastructure to attract more tourists
from the Middle East and Southeast Asian nations in the wake of the lifting of
sanctions on Iran."
The
number of Muslim tourists has risen from 540,000 in 2012 to 750,000 in 2014.
The tourism industry projects the number could go up to 800,000 this year.
As
availability of halal food is considered one of the most important things for
Muslim travelers, the government said it will work with halal business
communities to expand the number of certified foods and restaurants available
in the nation.
Currently,
only 12 restaurants are officially certified by the Korea Muslim Federation,
with eight located in Seoul.
The
state-run Korea Tourism Organization has introduced a guidebook on
"Muslim-friendly restaurants," but many of them are located in the
Seoul metropolitan area.
As part
of efforts to expand halal menus in major tourism attractions and hospitals,
the government said it will publish a recipe book to show how to make Korean
foods in accordance with the Islamic law.
It also
plans to help Korean chicken soup and barbecue get halal certifications to
export them in the Middle Eastern market.
To
further draw tourists, the government will push for easing visa regulations for
tourists from countries that don't have terrorist ties.
The tourism
ministry said it will encourage major airports, hotels and tourism attractions
to set up prayer rooms for the convenience of Muslim tourists for their daily
rituals. There are 32 prayer rooms in hotels nationwide.
Yonhap
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