SEOUL, South Korea – The Korea Halal Industry Research Institute (KIHI) is launching a halal tourism evaluator training program to meet the surging demand for Muslim-friendly services in the country.

With approximately 850,000 Muslim tourists visiting South Korea in 2023, accounting for 7.7% of total foreign arrivals, the country is seeing a significant opportunity to tap into this growing market.

To cater to this demand, KIHI has introduced the Korea Muslim-Friendly Accreditation System (KOMFAS) and is now offering the halal tourism evaluator training program.

The training program covers a wide range of topics, including the basics of Muslim-friendly services, building Muslim-friendly services for tourism businesses, and the importance of Muslim prayer and Sharia principles.

Four experts, including KIHI President Noh Jang-seo, KOMFAS Chairman Haji Saipol, Korea Halal Industry Society President Jang Geon, and Korea Halal Industry Promotion Agency Technical Committee Member Hong Si-won, will be delivering lectures.

Upon completion of the training program, evaluators will be certified at various levels—platinum, gold, silver, and bronze—and will be qualified to conduct assessments and provide consulting services to tourism businesses.

"While the number of Muslim tourists is increasing, South Korea's Muslim-friendly tourism services are lagging behind those of Japan, Singapore, and Thailand," said KIHI President Noh Jang-seo. "Through systematic education on Muslim tourism, we hope to help Korean tourism businesses expand their reach and attract more Muslim tourists."

KIHI will be participating in the Hotel & Restaurant Industry Expo at BEXCO in Busan from December 4th to 6th. On December 5th, the institute will host a special forum titled "Growth of the Muslim Tourism Market and Countermeasures for the Hotel Industry."