KANGAR: The current global trend demands tourism industry players to market their products creatively and innovatively, said the Regent of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail.

In this regard, he said that mastering creative and innovative marketing methods, including the use of social media and artificial intelligence (AI) technology, is crucial for achieving a broader reach both domestically and internationally.

“Whether we are aware of it or not, social media has become the key instrument for promoting our tourism products,” he said when officiating the soft launch of Islamic Tourism Month 2024 (ITM 2024) here today.

Raja Puan Muda of Perlis Tuanku Hajah Lailatul Shahreen Akashah Khalil was also in attendance. Also present were Perlis Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli and Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) director-general Nizran Noordin.

Meanwhile, Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra said the organisation of ITM demonstrated the government’s ongoing commitment to promoting the Muslim-friendly tourism sector in Malaysia.

He said that the Muslim-friendly tourism sector provides essential economic benefits to both the community and the country and must be consistently and inclusively strengthened.

“I believe that the Ministry (of Tourism, Arts and Culture) will continue to focus on positioning our Muslim-friendly tourism products on the global stage using the latest and most innovative marketing and promotion methods,” said Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra.

ITM 2024 is scheduled to run from Aug 16 to Sept 30, targeting 250 strategic partners to offer a range of enticing tourism deals to tourists, industry players, and entrepreneurs.

In a media statement today, ITC said that ITM 2024 will include the Mosque Open Day, organised in collaboration with major mosques nationwide, offering guided tours and engaging activities for all segments of society.

ITC is an entity under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture tasked with developing the Islamic tourism segment for Malaysia, which includes promoting Muslim-friendly tourism.