By Asst Prof Dr Azian Muhamad Adzmi, Dr Nurul Wahidah Mahmud Zuhudi & Dr Noor Hanan Jafar

Malaysia has long positioned itself as a global leader in halal tourism, offering a range of Muslim-friendly services and experiences. With its rich Islamic heritage, world-class halal-certified hospitality and commitment to cultural inclusivity, the country attracts millions of Muslim travellers every year.

However, one crucial aspect of Malaysia’s halal tourism marketing remains underdeveloped and underestimated – its visual identity.

New research suggests that the way halal tourism is visually represented plays a pivotal role in influencing travellers' perceptions and decision-making. The question is: Is Malaysia leveraging this potential effectively?

A recent study examined the impact of visual imagery on halal tourism in Malaysia, analysing how travellers interpret and respond to location-based visuals, cultural elements, gender representation and halal certification symbols. The findings are clear: Muslim travellers rely heavily on visual cues to determine whether a destination aligns with their faith-based needs. Yet, Malaysia’s tourism campaigns often fall short in effectively communicating these elements.

With the rise of digital content, social media, influencer marketing and immersive virtual tourism, halal-friendly destinations must evolve their visual storytelling to remain competitive. The question is not just about what is being shown, but how it is being presented.

If Malaysia truly wants to dominate the halal tourism industry, it must invest in a well-crafted, strategically-designed visual branding strategy that speaks directly to Muslim travellers worldwide.

The Power of Visual Representation in Halal Tourism

In the digital age, images matter more than ever. The way a destination is portrayed through photos, videos and graphics significantly influences travel aspirations, emotional connections and consumer trust.

For Muslim travellers, the expectation is clear: they want to see a destination that visually reflects their religious and cultural values.

The research highlights that location-based imagery plays the most dominant role in shaping perceptions. This means that travellers are actively searching for visuals that depict Muslim-friendly environments, halal restaurants, prayer facilities and Islamic cultural heritage.

In Malaysia’s case, this should include images of bustling halal food streets, serene mosque architecture, dedicated prayer spaces in shopping malls, and signage confirming halal-certified services.

However, many tourism promotions fail to highlight these aspects effectively. Instead, generic imagery that does not strongly convey a halal-friendly environment is often used, leading to missed opportunities to capture the attention of Muslim travellers.

Moreover, the study also found that cultural elements are highly influential in halal tourism decision-making. Muslim travellers are drawn to destinations that celebrate and showcase Islamic heritage and traditions in an authentic way. This means that Malaysia should be leveraging traditional Malay Islamic architecture, local Muslim attire, Islamic festivals and cultural experiences as core visual themes in its marketing efforts.

Countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates have mastered this approach, using visually compelling digital campaigns that integrate Islamic heritage with modern tourism experiences.

If Malaysia wants to stand out, it must move beyond static promotional images and embrace interactive and immersive visual content – including virtual tours of mosques, video storytelling of halal culinary experiences, and influencer-led travel narratives focusing on Muslim-friendly attractions.

The Missing Piece: Halal Certification & Muslim-Friendly Services

Another major gap in Malaysia’s halal tourism visuals is the lack of explicit halal certification representation. While the country has one of the world’s most well-regulated halal certification systems, tourism visuals often fail to capitalise on this strength.

The study found that Muslim travellers actively look for halal signage, certifications and facility indicators in promotional content. Destinations that clearly showcase halal-certified hotels, restaurants and entertainment hubs attract significantly more Muslim travellers compared to those that do not.

Yet, Malaysia’s tourism campaigns rarely emphasise this in a visually compelling way. Instead of simply listing halal-certified establishments, campaigns should feature high-quality visuals of halal certifications in action – such as chefs preparing halal dishes in certified kitchens, tourists enjoying halal gourmet dining, and signage directing travellers to Muslim-friendly accommodations.

The same applies to Muslim-friendly facilities such as prayer rooms, wudhu stations and gender-segregated recreational areas. Many international travellers are unaware that Malaysia offers some of the best Muslim-friendly travel facilities in the world – but they won’t know unless these facilities are visually represented in a compelling way.

For instance, Japan, a non-Muslim country, has excelled in marketing its halal tourism efforts by showcasing prayer facilities, Qibla directions in hotel rooms and Muslim-friendly restaurants through highly visual digital campaigns. Malaysia, despite being a Muslim-majority country, has not yet fully capitalised on its own advantages in this area.

Gender Representation: A Critical Yet Overlooked Element

One of the study’s most intriguing findings is the low emphasis on gender representation in halal tourism visuals. While modesty, privacy and gender-sensitive facilities are key concerns for Muslim travellers, current marketing campaigns rarely showcase these elements effectively.

For many Muslim women, especially those who travel solo or with families, having access to gender-segregated swimming pools, ladies-only spa services and private family dining options is a priority. Yet, visuals representing these aspects are largely missing from Malaysia’s tourism materials.

In contrast, Dubai and Indonesia have successfully promoted women-friendly halal tourism by using visuals that highlight these offerings. Malaysia must take similar steps by incorporating imagery that reassures female travellers of a comfortable and respectful travel experience.

If the industry aims to cater to the growing number of Muslim women travellers, then gender-inclusive visuals must be an integral part of halal tourism branding.

The Future: A More Visually Engaging Halal Tourism Strategy

Malaysia’s position as a leading halal tourism destination is undeniable, but to maintain its competitive edge, it must modernise its visual storytelling strategies.

A data-driven, consumer-focused visual marketing approach is the way forward. The findings suggest that investing in AI-powered visual personalisation, immersive virtual experiences and influencer-driven digital storytelling could redefine Malaysia’s halal tourism appeal.

Additionally, the use of dynamic and interactive content such as halal travel guides, virtual mosque tours, halal food discovery apps and user-generated content from Muslim travellers will play a significant role in shaping future halal tourism trends.

Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are where travel decisions are increasingly being made. If Malaysia’s halal tourism sector fails to create visually engaging, shareable and culturally relevant content, it risks being overshadowed by emerging halal-friendly destinations in non-Muslim countries like South Korea and Japan.

Malaysia already has all the necessary ingredients to be the undisputed leader in halal tourism. Now, it’s time to refine the recipe, package it visually and serve it to the world in the most compelling way possible.

In a Nutshell

The research is clear: Muslim travellers rely on visual representations to determine whether a destination meets their needs. Malaysia’s halal tourism industry must embrace a new era of visual communication – one that prioritises location-based imagery, cultural authenticity, explicit halal certification branding and gender-sensitive representation.

By integrating modern digital storytelling techniques, AI-driven content personalisation and immersive virtual experiences, Malaysia can solidify its status as the world’s top halal tourism destination.

The time for a stronger, bolder, and more visually engaging halal tourism identity is now.

Will Malaysia rise to the challenge?

-- BERNAMA

Asst Prof Dr Azian Muhamad Adzmi is with the Department of Media and Communication, KIMEP University, Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Dr Nurul Wahidah Mahmud Zuhudi & Dr Noor Hanan Jafar are with the School of Media and Communication, Taylor’s University, Malaysia.