Chiang Mai serving up halal food festival to entice Mideast tourists
Chiang Mai will hold its first halal food festival next month to woo Muslim tourists from the Middle East.
The festival will serve up halal specialities from all four regions of the country under the theme “Unseen Chiang Mai”, provincial governor Nirat Pongsitthavorn explained.
The halal fest will also serve as amuse bouche for Chiang Mai’s international food festival in July and August.
The city has selected July and August for the food festival to entice the large number of Middle East tourists who visit Chiang Mai during these two months.
Middle East tourists are known as high-spending visitors who tend to stay for relatively long holidays in Thailand.
The governor said the halal food festival will become an annual event on Chiang Mai’s tourism calendar.
Supamitr Kijjapipat, president of Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association, said the festival will be held throughout July to showcase quality halal-certified restaurants for both Thai and foreign tourists.
Supamitr expects the event to stimulate the local economy in the province, with over 20 halal restaurants in Chiang Mai participating.
Chiang Mai is also promoting destinations such as Chiang Dao, Mae On, Wiang Haeng, Mae Cham, and Mae Kwang under the “Unseen” theme from July to September, the governor said.
He said promotional activities would focus on the lush natural surroundings during the wet season as well as the diverse local culture, traditions and ethnic groups.
