Source: Wenhui Daily

Today, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu led a delegation to visit Qatar and Kuwait, actively exploring emerging markets. He recently visited a hotel in Hong Kong equipped with Halal tourism facilities to understand the services provided for Muslims. Lee said that the HKSAR government is committed to making Hong Kong a Muslim-friendly city, where every visitor feels respected. He hopes that all sectors of society will continue to optimize tourism facilities and services to attract more Muslim tourists to Hong Kong.

Accompanied by Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Rosanna Law, and Deputy Managing Director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Yip Chun-tak, Lee visited a Muslim-friendly hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. This hotel has been certified as a five-star hotel by the internationally renowned Muslim tourism promotion company "Crescent Rating." Hong Kong currently has six hotels that have achieved the fifth level of Muslim friendliness, and this is one of them. "Crescent Rating" has a total of seven levels, with the seventh level being the highest. However, the requirements for the seventh level are extremely high, and it is basically only achievable by Muslim-majority countries.

The hotel has set up a prayer room, and the rooms are also equipped with the Quran, prayer direction indicators, and ablution facilities to meet the religious needs of Muslim tourists comprehensively. In recent months, many Muslim tourists have stayed here.

The hotel manager introduced the newly established Halal facilities to Lee. The hotel's operations director, Mark Boren, said, "In response to the Policy Address, we are the first hotel in Hong Kong to achieve the fifth level of 'Crescent Rating.' There have been some minor changes in the kitchen, especially in the preparation of Halal food."

Lee asked, "What about the prayer room?" Boren replied that there indeed was a prayer room. Of course, facilities for praying in the rooms were also provided for guests. There was also a dedicated prayer room downstairs in the hotel.

The hotel's general manager, Alex Tse, pointed out that "during the entire Ramadan period, we provided Iftar buffets. Last month, during the entire Ramadan period, we received very positive feedback and many good reviews."

Currently, the certification work for Halal restaurants in Hong Kong is undertaken by the Islamic Trust Fund of Hong Kong. Lee inspected one of the hotel's restaurants, which was certified as a "Halal Kitchen Restaurant." Lee noticed the "Halal Kitchen Restaurant" certificate hanging on the wall. The hotel's operations director, Mark Boren, introduced that "this was one of the staff training items earlier to ensure that we have a qualified Halal kitchen."

Lee also exchanged views with the chefs who prepared the sumptuous Halal food. The restaurant chef said, "From the slaughtering of meat and suppliers, we need to ensure that all suppliers' products are Halal certified. When we cook, we use a dedicated area and utensils to ensure that all food meets Halal requirements."

Inside the restaurant, Lee met several Muslim tourists and exchanged views with them, as well as tasted Halal food together. The dining table was laid with dishes like roasted lamb racks and date cakes. The tourists expressed satisfaction with the hotel's facilities, saying that the perfect and high-quality services made them feel at home and encouraged them to bring more friends for holidays in the future.

An Indonesian tourist said, "I thought there would be very few Halal restaurants in Hong Kong, but I later found that they are actually very easy to find. Even on the Hong Kong Tourism Board's information platform Discover Hong Kong, they list Muslim-friendly hotels and Halal restaurants, which is very helpful for me."

Lee said, "The industry told me that after the policy was announced, the waiting time for 'Crescent Rating' certification has become longer than before because there are many people waiting in line, and many people want to obtain the fifth-level Crescent Rating for Halal tourism and hotels. I have set a very clear policy that we should make Hong Kong a Muslim-friendly city because we welcome you. We want everyone who comes to Hong Kong to first feel respected."

Statistics show that the global Muslim population is growing rapidly and is expected to account for 27% of the world's total population by 2030. Research also indicates that the number of Muslim tourists worldwide is expected to exceed 250 million by 2028, with related tourism revenue reaching $225 billion (about HK$1.75 trillion), indicating a huge market potential.

In last year's Policy Address, Lee mentioned the need to explore the Middle East and ASEAN tourist markets. The government will create a tourist-friendly environment and enhance Muslim-friendly tourism facilities, including integrating a list of restaurants that provide Halal food. As of mid-April this year, the number of Halal restaurants certified by the Islamic Trust Fund of Hong Kong has increased significantly from about 100 at the beginning of last year to over 170. There are 61 hotels with "Crescent Rating" for Muslim friendliness, five tourist attractions and convention and exhibition venues, among which Ngong Ping 360, Ocean Park, and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre have been rated as "Gold Certified Attractions/Convention and Exhibition Venues."

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on social media that he was pleased to see many hotels and restaurants in Hong Kong responding to government policies by launching Halal facilities. He emphasized that efforts would continue to be made to enhance Halal tourism facilities across society in order to attract more Muslim tourists to Hong Kong, ensuring they have a great time, eat with confidence, and stay comfortably, while also boosting Hong Kong's tourism competitiveness.