Islamophobia Can't Stop Korean Companies

TEHRAN (IQNA) – Due to the purposeful portrayal of Muslims in the mainstream media and showing small groups of terrorists as representatives of all of 1.6 billion Muslims, Koreans who are unaccustomed to Muslim visitors, have both hopes and fears.

  

For now, hopes seem to overwhelm at least business people, given that more companies are carrying out marketing campaigns for customers from Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

In particular, the rising number of Muslim travelers helps the country’s retailers and hotels find alternative revenue sources at a time when the number of Chinese tourists is plunging due to the diplomatic row over the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here.

Lotte Department Store recently opened a prayer room for Muslims at its Jamsil branch in southeastern Seoul.

Including copies of the Quran, the central religious text of Islam, the 49.6-square-meter room is equipped with prayer rugs, foot baths and the Qibla, the direction that Muslims should face when they pray.

Lotte has also designated Muslim-friendly restaurants at its main branch in downtown Seoul and at the Jamsil store, giving free facial masks and 10,000 won ($8.7) vouchers to every Muslim shopper. The retail giant is offering halal-certified snacks and tea at the Global Lounges in the two stores as well.

Hanwha Galleria is another retailer making every effort to attract Muslim tourists.

Earlier this year, Galleria Duty Free signed deals with travel agencies in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

As four fancy restaurants in the 63 Building in Yeouido, Seoul, have been acknowledged as Muslim-friendly by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) last year, the duty free store in the landmark building is expected to attract more Muslim shoppers.

Cooperating with Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital and Chung-Ang University Hospital in Seoul, the Seoul-based firm is offering medical services for tourists from the Middle East as well.

The Plaza Hotel Seoul, Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel, InterContinental Seoul Coex and other deluxe hotels here have also begun offering halal dishes using ingredients approved by Islamic law.

Korean retailers and hotels regard Muslim travelers as alternatives to Chinese tourists, whose number have rapidly declined after Beijing’s de facto order for Chinese tour agencies to stop offering group tours to Korea. A political conflict over the THAAD anti-missile defense system is causing it.

According to KTO, the number of Chinese visitors to Korea dropped 66.4 percent in June from a year ago, while that of Muslim tourists amounted to 985,858 last year, up 33 percent from 2015. The figure is expected to top 1 million this year.

"Customers from the Middle East spend 30 percent more than those from China,” a Galleria Duty Free official said, "so they are spotlighted by many Korean companies.”

Source: Korea Times