MATTA TO ORGANISE INTERNATIONAL MUSLIM TOURISM CONFERENCE

KUALA LUMPUR, 8 April (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Association of Tour and
Travel Agents (Matta) will organise the 3rd International Conference on Muslim
Tourism, Hajj and Umrah (InCoMTHU '09) on April 14.

The event is in support of the Malaysian Muslim tour and travel industry.

Matta's bumiputera representative, Jeffri Sulaiman said the theme of the
conference is, "Moving Towards Borderless Muslim Tourism".

He added that the conference aims to encourage travel by Muslims by sharing
experiences among the administrators and practitioners of Muslim tourism.

"We believe the conference can spread the benefits of Muslim tourism to
non-Muslim countries, so that the goal of global peace and understanding through
tourism can be achieved," he said at the InCoMTHU '09 news conference here
Wednesday.

The conference will present the latest updates and challenges on managing
the Haj and Umrah pilgrimage while exploring business opportunities in the
development of Muslim tourism.

Meanwhile, Matta deputy president Mohd Khalid Harun said the
conference is also an effort to make Malaysia famous as the Islamic halal
hub country in the tourism sector in Asia.

Jeffri also said that more than 200 participants from national and regional
tourism organisations, Muslim tour operators as well as non-governmental
organisation's (NGOs) along with key tourism players, are to attend the
conference.

The conference is expected to be officiated by the Prime Minister Najib Tun
Razak at Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) here.

It is being organised in collaboration with the Department of Zakat, Wakaf
and Hajj, Lembaga Tabung Haji (The Pilgrimage Fund Board), Tourism Malaysia, the
Embassy of Saudi Arabia and Bank Islam.

Those interested can visit the conference website, www.incomthu.com, or call
the Matta secretariat (Azhan Hassan) at 03-92876881," he said.

-- BERNAMA