March 17, 2009--The Islamic Tourism Center ( ITC), which was launched in Malaysian southern Malacca state on Monday, is Malaysia's specific initiative to encourage tourist arrivals from Muslim nations and Muslim communities abroad, said Tourism Minister Azalina Othman Said.

The center was also in line with the government's wish to make Malaysia a major global tourism destination, she said at the launching of the ITC.

"Islamic tourism is expanding and a niche market which is growing in importance," she said.

The ITC is previously known as the Commonwealth Tourism Center based in Kuala Lumpur.

The cabinet, however, decided that the center be turned into an ITC following requests by many Muslim nations which wanted Malaysia to share its tourism experience.

Islamic tourism covered numerous aspects, including those related to the economy and arts, Azalina said.

"In terms of the economy, the Islamic tourism aims to expand tourism within the Muslim world, develop new tourist destinations and strengthen cooperation between governments and institutions in Muslim countries," she said.

On arts, the Islamic tourism would focus on tourism programs and events, which are acceptable to Islam, she said.

It would also cover the touring of Islamic heritage sites, she added.

Quoting statistics from the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), she said there were 1.5 billion Muslims in the world or about 20 percent of the global population.

"From that figure, we can see the huge potential Islamic tourism has to offer. Efforts should therefore be geared towards tapping into this market," she said.

(Source: Xinhua News Agency)