HALAL FOOD FOR TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN HO CHI MINH CITY

Abstract

Halal food is one of the important needs for Halal tourism around the world. In the context of Halal food tourism, Halal and haram describe each of what is allowed or not to be consumed by Muslims in the Qur'an. This paper will introduce Halal food products made in HCMC, which are being introduced in convenience services, and/or supermarkets in the city. Those requirements are being verified and certified by The Representative Board of the Muslim Community in HCMC.

In addition, it also examine the cultural aspects of the local Muslim community in food processing of Halal products; from there survey visitors' feedback when using these Halal products. The research result was obtained by the method of Qualitative research, participant observation and in-depth interviews. The research question is established as Ho Chi Minh city is growing its tourism sector, including the Muslim market, can the country's Halal institution cope with this expansion. Finally, it comes to the argument, at this point, the city's Halal industry remains at the infancy, and relies on external stakeholders such as Malaysians to determine Halal institutions. There is still a poor understanding of what Halal is. In the long term, Ho Chi Minh City must consider building its own Halal institutions that understand its local needs rather than relying on external ideas.