Halal dim sum? Hong Kong trade fair aims to entice businesses to make city more appealing to Muslims amid ‘very, very low’ tourism standing
- Halal Pavilion event will showcase food and consumer goods from around the world, raise awareness
- Despite Hong Kong’s reputation as a culinary haven, there are only 83 halal-certified restaurants
Hong Kong will hold its largest trade and consumer fair highlighting halal products and business practices this month, an event that aims to improve the city’s liveability for Muslim residents and its appeal to visitors.
The city’s standing as a Muslim-friendly tourist destination was “very, very low”, said Sharifa Leung, a co-organiser of the Halal Pavilion event and a third-generation Muslim Hongkonger.
Hong Kong ranked No 30 out of 138 destinations overall in the Global Muslim Travel Index 2023, behind Singapore (No 11), Taiwan (No 28), and Thailand (No 29), though it took the 5th spot among non-Muslim destinations.
The index is compiled annually by Mastercard and CrescentRatings, a Singapore-based company that conducts research on Muslim-friendly travel destinations.
“How can Hong Kong move forward to being a Muslim-friendly city, how can we talk about diversity and inclusion, if we do not engage businesses and try to work together?” Leung said.
