WEBINAR ON HALAL TOURISM IN PANDEMIC TIMES

Today I have had the chance to share the webinar titled "Halal Tourism Standard: A solution for Human Healthy Life" with the eminent scholar Dr Mohammad Sharif Malekzadeh, CEO & Founder of  SITI1 International Organization, as well as Regional Chair for the Middle East and Central Asia of IAUP (International Association of University Presidents).

First of all, let me state my gratitude for the kind invitation received and the warm words of introduction by the moderator, Dr Reza Sadeghi, Director for International Affairs of SITI1.

Let’s go back in time for a moment, to remember when I met personally Dr Malekzadeh for the first time. It was January 1, 2017, in his office in Tehran, and it was an unforgettable event, among other reasons because it was the New Year day for my wife and me. Uncommonly in those dates, the day after I taught a Seminar on Innovation and Branding invited by SITI1 International Organisation.

In the occasion of the "International Halal Economy and Halal Tourism Conference", we had the chance to meet and talk again. It was October 7, 2017 (the conference was held the day after, where I was invited to talk on the topic "Halal Tourism: experts’ view at world level"). Afterwards, we have kept in touch.

But before this personal interaction, I already had received some echoes on Dr Malekzadeh's academic work in the field of tourism. In fact, on September 26, 2016, I wrote a reference letter addressed to the UNWTO where, among other achievements, I underlined the importance of the study framework known as Malekzadeh's Framework for Tourism (MFT), which provides a comprehensive definition of tourism which relates to human, place and time as a structural basis for tourism knowledge, operation and management of this industry. 

This chronology is relevant because the emphasis on the human side of tourism was something where both of us coincide, and very noticeably since our first conversation. I believe this created a bond of mutual understanding and emotional connection, which was transferred to the more specific field of Halal tourism.

Tourism is an experiential domain where the search of the inner wellbeing is gaining momentum, and the point is how Halal tourism can contribute to cover that need, which goes much beyond the physical wellbeing.

Also, my research has allowed me to identify three key dimensions in Halal tourism: spiritual, ecological and healthy, together with the significant obstacle tourism companies find at the international level because each country has its own certification bodies with its own requirements.  Therefore, an internationally recognized Halal tourism standard would be very beneficial.

Interestingly, in our meetings, we talked about the importance to match tourism and sustainability in order to contribute to addressing the big challenges of humanity, and about the importance, and the difficulty at the same time, of moving in the direction of creating an international standard, valid throughout the world, for this tourism segment in spite of some cultural and interpretations differences.

And now we all are affected by the drama of the COVID-19 pandemic, with devastating effects in the tourism industry and the economy worldwide, with a terrible toll in human lives. I'm convinced, and I have written on this issue during the last few months, that this pandemic will represent a milestone for the tourism industry and beyond. Perhaps this is a sign that we have to change not our economies only, but our ways of living.

Dr Malekzadeh has a disruptive vision on this topic, which represents an invitation for a deep reflection. We shared our ideas to this respect.

Finally, I wanted to emphasize the distinctive character of the platform provided by "Global HalalTourism Organization", with 22 standards for Halal products and services intended to help companies worldwide to take advantage of the growing Halal market. Because of its variety, it is unique not only from a purely business point of view but from an academic research perspective as well. It opens the door to know more about the challenges and impacts of all kind (economic, social, environmental ones) from this set of international accreditations and the synergies among them, as well as about the effect on the preservation of the authenticity of those products and services, which is an attribute of the highest importance.

The full recording of this webinar is available at: https://www.aparat.com/v/dMBzj

(Post nº 335 in this blog)