WORLD ISLAMIC TOURISM FORUM 2011 (WITF 2011)

International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) Malaysia and Global Islamic Tourism Organization (GITO) Malaysia was organized World Islamic Tourism Forum (WITF 2011) on 12 & 13 July 2011 at Seri Pacific Hotel, Kuala Lumpur (beside PWTC).

This two-day Conference will deliberate on the theme ‘Enhancing the Spirit of Global Understanding through Islamic Tourism’. YAB Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the Former Prime Minister of Malaysia will officiated the event and delivering the keynote address.

According to the joint-organizing chairman of WITF 2011, Emeritus Prof. Datuk Dr. Osman Bakar (IAIS Malaysia) and Dato’ Dr. Joshua Peter Tan Pin Pin (GITO Malaysia), this conference seek to promote a broader and universal understanding of Islamic tourism and to examine international, regional and national ‘best practices’ in tourism with the view of charting a way forward towards achieving and strengthening Islamic Tourism locally, regionally and globally.

Among the invited speakers are Dr Marzuki Usman (Former Minister of Tourism, Indonesia), Dr Ala al-Hamarneh (Center for Research on the Arab World, Institute of Geography, Mainz University, Germany), Associate Professor Dr Teoman Duman (Deputy Rector, International Burch University, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina), Associate Professor Dr. Ma Zhan Ming (Ningxia University, China), Professor Dr Mohammad Hashim Kamali (Chairman/CEO IAIS Malaysia), Professor Dato’ Dr Jamil Othman (Rector, INSANIAH University College, Alor Star, Kedah, Malaysia), Professor Dato’ Dr Abdul Kadir Din (Professor in Tourism Management, University Utara Malaysia, Malaysia) and YB Dato’ Seri Haji Idris bin Jusoh (Chairman of Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) and the Former Chief Minister of the State of Terengganu).

Emeritus Prof. Datuk Dr. Osman Bakar (IAIS Malaysia) who also presented a paper on ‘Islamic Tourism: Understanding Its Meaning, Multi-Dimensional Enterprise and Global Significance’ mentioned that the conference attended by the players in the tourism industry, academician and universities student, government officers as well as High Commissioners and Ambassadors from foreign countries based in Kuala Lumpur. For further info, kindly visit to www.iais.my and www.islamic-tourism.com.