Food is always one of the highlights for any holiday. But if you're Muslim, finding halal eateries overseas in predominantly non-Muslim countries can prove to be a bit of a headache.

If you're heading to New Zealand anytime soon, you might want to check out Tourism New Zealand's new culinary tourism guide that was made to meet the needs of Muslim travellers.

The guide provides general tourism information together with a list of restaurants and cafes, from halal-certified through to those that offer vegetarian dishes or vegan cuisine.

Tourism New Zealand’s Regional Manager South and South East Asia, Steven Dixon, says the guide’s aim is to offer Muslim visitors a memorable visit to New Zealand and to maximise their enjoyment of the country’s high quality food experiences.

"New Zealand food goes way beyond fish and chips and barbeques – our chefs have developed a distinct Pacific Rim cuisine," said Dixon.

"We acknowledge how important access to information about suitable dining options is to the overall experience of our Muslim visitors and this guide demonstrates our commitment to further enhancing New Zealand's position as a visitor destination among this audience," he said.

Hazim Arafeh, President of the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand, said that his organisation is very pleased to be able to collaborate with Tourism New Zealand and Kiwi Muslim Directory on producing such a valuable guide for Muslim travellers.

“The Halal Food Guide provides greater reassurance to Muslim consumers and will therefore prove to be an invaluable source to Muslim tourists and business travellers to New Zealand," he said.

The guide is developed with the support of the Kiwi Muslim Directory and Federation of the Islamic Associations of New Zealand.

The Halal Food Guide is available for download on the Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia editions of Tourism New Zealand’s website newzealand.com.

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