Is New Zealand the most food-friendly culture ever?
Photo: Auckland (courtesy Janeen Christoff)
New Zealand tourism is focused on targeting Middle Eastern guests with new halal menus.
The New Zealand Herald reports that “New Zealand tourism bosses are chasing the multi-billion dollar Muslim tourist market by launching a halal food guide and pushing it in Southeast Asia,” says Kurt Bayer for the paper.
The culinary tourism directory has been developed with the backing of the Kiwi Muslim Directory and Federation of the Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ), according to the New Zealand Herald.
“New Zealand food goes way beyond fish and chips and barbecues — our chefs have developed a distinct Pacific Rim cuisine,” said Steven Dixon, Tourism New Zealand’s regional manager for South and South East Asia,” notes the article.
New Zealanders understand the challenges Muslim travelers face.
“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.”
Investing in a guide like this is a smart move as Muslims are making up more of the travel market than ever before.
Muslims are forecast to make up almost one in three of the world’s population and halal tourism to be worth over $200 billion by 2025, reports the New Zealand Herald.