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March 14, 2025 | 04:40 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Hong Kong increasingly positions itself as Muslim-friendly. One way is to improve facilities to meet the needs of Muslim travelers. As of February 2025, 52 hotels in Hong Kong have successfully obtained Muslim-friendly accreditation, and 153 restaurants have received halal certification and are owned by Muslims.
The Muslim-friendly accreditation for hotels is achieved through cooperation with Crescent Rating, a program that assesses hotels based on facilities to enhance the comfort of Muslim travelers. Meanwhile, the halal-certified restaurants are accredited by the Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong. The number of halal-certified restaurants has increased from 100 restaurants since the launch of the Muslim-friendly initiative in June 2024.
Liew Chian Jia, the Regional Director of Southeast Asia at the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), expressed delight over the positive achievements during the past year. He hopes to attract more Muslim tourists through the Explore Hong Kong campaign. "Hong Kong is truly ready to welcome Muslim tourists, with halal-certified restaurants, Muslim-friendly accommodations curated for solo or family travel," he said in Jakarta on Thursday, March 13, 2025.
In addition to the increasing number of Muslim-friendly accommodations and restaurants, Hong Kong ranks second as a safe travel destination for Muslim women, according to the Global Muslim Travel Index 2024 Rankings. It ranks 4th among 20 non-Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) destinations.
The Muslim-friendly tourism initiative in Hong Kong is reflected in a significant increase in Indonesian tourists by 43 percent and Malaysian tourists by 50 percent annually. Overall, the number of Indonesian visitors to Hong Kong last year reached 367,000, a 42 percent increase from the previous year, according to the HKTB Main Visitor Survey and Immigration Department.
From the same source, the number of Southeast Asian tourists visiting Hong Kong reached 3 million, an increase of 41 percent from 2023. The total visitor arrivals in 2024 reached 44.5 million.
Kowloon Shangri-La, Hong Kong. (dok. Hong Kong Tourism Board)
Halal-Certified Restaurants
Several halal-certified restaurants can be tried when visiting Hong Kong. Among them is Chinesology, a Muslim-friendly fine-dining Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong that offers a unique culinary experience. With an elegant interior, the restaurant creates a modern yet warm atmosphere.
To taste Cantonese and contemporary Chinese dishes, you can visit Cuisine Cuisine at The Mira, Tsim Sha Tsui. This restaurant, which has been listed in the Michelin Guide Hong Kong & Macau since 2021, offers authentic dishes and creative dim sum with halal options.
Dorsett Cafe at Dorsett Tsuen Wan has removed pork from its menu to achieve full halal certification. Muslim tourists can enjoy set menu buffets and in-room dining services. During Ramadan, the restaurant presents special Ramadan buffet menus. Cafe Kool at Kowloon Shangri-La, which is halal-certified, also offers Ramadan buffet menus.
In addition to restaurants, three local food brands in Hong Kong are halal-certified. These include Ke Wah Bakery, a famous bakery in Hong Kong that preserves the art of baking traditional Chinese pastries. The bakery will offer halal-certified pastries in 70 stores starting April 1, 2025.
Another brand is PIN Cookies, locally made traditional Cantonese cookies with innovative ingredients. Meanwhile, Fine Foods Shop, a famous pastry shop at Royal Garden, Kowloon, offers Muslim-friendly butterfly cookies.
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