Malaysia is looking to Türkiye’s experience in preserving and commercially developing historical sites, as well as its transit tourism model, as the two countries explore closer cooperation in Muslim-friendly travel, a senior Malaysian tourism official said, Anadolu Agency reported.
Mohammad Faisal bin Abu Suaib Khan, director-general of Malaysia’s Islamic Tourism Center, told Anadolu that Türkiye offered lessons in combining heritage conservation with tourism and revenue generation.
“Türkiye has experience in managing heritage,” Faisal said, adding that generating revenue from historical monuments could help fund their conservation and upkeep.
Malaysia could learn from Türkiye’s approach to turning historic sites into tourist attractions while generating funds for their maintenance, he said.
Türkiye recorded $65.23 billion in tourism revenue in 2025, up 6.8% from the previous year, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute. Museums and archaeological sites received nearly 65.9 million visits, also up 6.8%.
Malaysia welcomed 42.2 million international visitors in 2025, up from 38 million a year earlier, according to Tourism Malaysia, and is seeking further growth through its Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign.
Transit tourism
Faisal said his own experience during an eight-hour layover in Istanbul showed how Türkiye could turn transit passengers into future tourists.
While travelling to Kazan, Russia, Faisal and a colleague were offered a city tour by Turkish Airlines. The programme took them from the airport into Istanbul and included a cruise along the Bosphorus, views of historical monuments and the Golden Horn, and a meal before they returned to continue their journey.
Faisal said the experience provided a preview of Istanbul and encouraged visitors to consider returning for a longer stay.
He said Malaysia could adopt a similar model for passengers with long layovers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
“I wish that we could do the same thing for tourists who are transiting through KLIA or KLIA2, so that we can bring them to Kuala Lumpur, let them enjoy it, and then they will come again,” he said.
Sharing expertise
Faisal said cooperation should work both ways, pointing to Malaysia’s experience in setting standards for Muslim-friendly tourism and hospitality.
Malaysia’s Islamic Tourism Center develops standards, research, training and capacity-building programmes for the sector. Its Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition programme recognises businesses that meet specified requirements for Muslim travellers.
More than 500 Malaysian businesses and services are registered under the framework, including 73 hotels, 39 travel agencies, 11 spas and 390 tourist guides.
Faisal said the system could complement Türkiye’s established tourism infrastructure by helping Muslim travellers identify trusted hotels and services.
Türkiye’s Islamic heritage, mosques, halal food and Muslim-friendly accommodation make it well placed to tap the growing Muslim travel market, he said.
Malaysia received 9.7 million Muslim visitors in 2025 and aims to raise that figure to 15.2 million by 2030, according to the Islamic Tourism Center.
The recognition framework is also being expanded internationally, with cooperation involving markets including Russia, Taiwan, Indonesia, South Korea and Brazil.
Faisal said such standards could be particularly useful in non-Muslim-majority countries, where Muslim travellers may find it harder to identify suitable hotels, restaurants and other services.
He said the framework could complement existing halal certification by extending recognition to hotels and other tourism businesses.
Closer cooperation between Türkiye and Malaysia could also encourage travellers to visit both countries rather than treating them as competitors, Faisal said.
“Instead of fighting for the market, we can grow together,” he said.
This report is based on an interview published by Anadolu Agency.
Support Independent Media
Click Here and Join the Membership of Millat Times to Support Independent Media.
Support Millat Times