Asia targets medical tourism from US travel ban



Seeking to capitalise on US President Donald Trump's controversial new travel restrictions against Muslims, companies and officials in Asia said they would target greater tourism and education ties with Muslims worried about the curbs.

In Muslim-majority Malaysia, the group CEO of Asia's largest budget airline, AirAsia, suggested countries in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) could cash in.

"With the world now getting more isolationist it's time for ASEAN to start making it easier for tourists to come," Tony Fernandes said in a tweet on Tuesday.  
 
Malaysia is a popular destination for tourists from the Middle East, with nearly 200,000 arriving in 2016 from countries including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Qatar.

The country is also a key destination for medical tourism and halal tourism, with food and other products largely halal-certified.
  
/theSTAR 31-01-2017

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