1. P ROSPECTS A ND C HALLENGES I SLAMIC T OURISM IN THE OIC C OUNTRIES 2 nd International Halal Tourism Conference, Konya, Turkey Maedeh Bon mbon@sesric.org Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC)

2. SESRIC SESRIC Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries Focal point for Strengthening Technical Cooperation among the OIC Member Countries Main Mandates: “Statistics, Research and Training” Subsidiary organ of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

3. Policy Dialogue Strategic Vision Networking Capacity Building Skill Development Transferring Know-how and Knowledge SESRIC COOPERATION MODALITIES

4. Policy Dialogue in the domain of Tourism SESRIC Regular Reports: “International Tourism in the OIC Countries: Prospects and Challenges” 2015 report: 2015 report: “Islamic Tourism in the OIC Countries” special section on “Islamic Tourism in the OIC Countries” Outlines Islamic Tourism and its Components State of Islamic Tourism in the OIC Countries Challenges and Opportunities for Islamic Tourism Concluding Remarks and Policy Recommendations Available at: http://www.sesrtcic.org/publications-detail.php?id=358http://www.sesrtcic.org/publications-detail.php?id=358

5. Major Source Markets for Islamic Tourism RankCountry Size RankCountry Size (US $ Billion) 1Saudi Arabia17.8 11Germany3.6 2Iran14.3 12Egypt2.8 3 United Arab Emirates 11.2 13Azerbaijan2.4 4Qatar7.8 14United Kingdom2.4 5Kuwait7.7 15Singapore2.3 6Indonesia7.5 16France2.3 7Malaysia5.7 17Iraq2.2 8Russia5.4 18United States2 9Turkey4.5 19Morocco2 10 Nigeria4.4 20Lebanon1.9 Source: Thomson Reuters and Dinar Standard Top-20 Muslim Tourist Source Markets, 2013/14 With estimated tourism expenditures of over $100 billion, OIC Member Countries account for around 82 per cent of the total Muslim travel expenditures in 2013-2014

6. Major Islamic Tourism Destinations Source: MasterCard and Crescent Rating, 2015 Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI): OICNon-OIC Top 10 OIC and Non-OIC Islamic Tourism Destinations

7. On-going Challenges Lack of unified and global standards and certification Financial Constraints for the Islamic tourism industry Gender related issues: female employment in tourism sector Differences in the understanding of Islamic values and beliefs

8. Opportunities Potential for economic growth Innovative tourism products Social media platform

9. Policy Recommendations: At the National and the OIC Cooperation Level Harmonization of policies and guidelines Sharing of expertise and experiences Cooperation for making a positive image Organizing Islamic tourism events Utilizing the media Designing long-term strategies and master plans for the development of Islamic tourism market At the Industry Level Ensuring Halal Training the staff Facilitating the access Paying attention to diversity Proper accommodation management Information about halal food Offering gender specific facilities Appropriate dress code for the staff Suitable marketing strategies

10. OIC Tourism Capacity Building Programme (Tr-CaB)  In order to enhance the sector and share experience regarding tourism and the challenges involved, SESRIC initiates training courses related to tourism Three implemented activities in 2015  Five ongoing activities for 2016  SESRIC aims at assessing training needs and capacities of the OIC Countries to effectively plan and implement training programmes through matching needs and capacities of the related institutions of the OIC Countries.  Currently SESRIC is implementing 28 Capacity building programmes in many sectors including Tourism VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMME More information and questionnaires are available at: http://www.oicvet.org/oic-tourism-cap.php

11. Strategic Vision on Islamic Tourism OIC Islamic Tourism Strategic Plan (OIC- ITSP) First Expert Group Meeting on Designing Strategic Plan of Halal Tourism in OIC Member Countries to be held in Konya, Turkey in 2016

12. Maedeh Bon mbon@sesric.org شكرا Thank you Merci Teşekkürler