Taipei, April 4 (CNA) Taiwan’s restaurant operators and catering service providers are eyeing the global Halal food market as they gear up to showcase their products in the upcoming Taiwan International Hotel, Restaurant and Catering Show, a trade promotion body said Saturday.
The government-sponsored Taiwan External Trade Development Council  said that more than 180 hotels, restaurants, and catering service providers will display their services and products in 600 booths in the 2015 trade show.

The 2015 HORECA will kick off at the Taipei World Trade Center on June 24 and run through June 27. In the 2014 event, the trade show had 172 exhibitors, attracting more than 65,000 visitors.

Taiwan is growing in popularity among Muslim travelers. According to the Global Muslim Travel Index, Taiwan is ranked among the top 10 non-Muslim tourist destinations.

To boost its visibility in the eyes of the Muslim world and secure more orders, the HORECA will team up with the International Taiwan Halal Expo  which will be held in the same venue during the same period, the TAITRA said.

In the Taiwan Halal, some 30 exhibitors, including food/beverage makers, food supplement providers, beauty product vendors and biotech firms, whose products have earned Halal certifications, will woo potential Muslim buyers, the TAITRA added.

It said Taiwan’s goal is to win a higher share of the world’s Muslim market which has a population of 2 billion and is expected to create US$700 billion in business opportunities.

As Taiwan is a trade and transportation hub in the Asia Pacific region, it boasts a geographic proximity to China and Southeast Asian countries with a large Muslim population, the TAITRA said.

In November, the Ministry of Economic Affairs led a delegation of 12 Taiwanese food makers to visit Jakarta, Indonesia and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. During their five-day visit, the delegation received a warm welcome among Muslim buyers.

Source: http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aeco/201504040006.aspx