New culinary tourism guide focused on meeting the needs of Muslim travellers
Dietary requirements rank as one of the main issues faced by travellers. This is especially true for Muslim travellers as it’s often hard to find Halal food when travelling abroad. In order to cater to the demand and needs of Muslim visitors, Tourism New Zealand has launched a Halal Food guide to the country.
The guide, developed with the support of the Kiwi Muslim Directory and Federation of the Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ), provides general tourism information, together with a list of restaurants and cafes, from halal-certified through to those which offer vegetarian dishes or vegan cuisine.
Tourism New Zealand’s Regional Manager South and South East Asia, Steven Dixon, says the guide’s aim is to offer Muslim visitors a memorable visit to New Zealand and to maximise their enjoyment of the country’s high quality food experiences.
“New Zealand food goes way beyond fish and chips and barbeques – our chefs have developed a distinct Pacific Rim cuisine. We acknowledge how important access to information about suitable dining options is to the overall experience of our Muslim visitors and this guide demonstrates our commitment to further enhancing New Zealand's position as a visitor destination among this audience.
“We are thankful for the continued support and guidance received from FIANZ and the Kiwi Muslim Directory. They have enabled us to provide a detailed list of certified establishments which we are confident will be useful for visitors.”
Hazim Arafeh, President of the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand, said that his organisation is very pleased to be able to collaborate with Tourism New Zealand and Kiwi Muslim Directory on producing such a valuable guide for Muslim travellers.
“The Halal Food Guide provides greater reassurance to Muslim consumers and will therefore prove to be an invaluable source to Muslim tourists and business travellers to New Zealand.”
The Halal Food Guide is available for download on the Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia editions of Tourism New Zealand’s website.
