Halal tourism: Travels brands can tap the Muslim market | WARC | The Feed

Halal tourism: Travels brands can tap the Muslim market

As a demonstration of agility in the travel sector, the pivot of a number of Turkish all-in resorts to focus on Muslim tourists is informative – there is a business opportunity in what is being described as ‘halal tourism’.

Why it matters

As the travel industry continues to struggle with the impact of COVID-19, it can’t afford to ignore a significant, and growing, market. Muslims account for a quarter of the global population, with their numbers increasing twice as fast as the overall population.

Several decades ago Muslim travellers were likely to be heading to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj or back to their home countries to see family and friends. But a new generation, more educated and with more money, wants to experience different parts of the world and do so without having to compromise on its religious values. 

What it means

Things have moved far beyond simply having a separate prayer room. The Global Muslim Travel Index highlights the priorities of today’s Muslim travellers:

• Need to have: halal food, prayer facilities, water-friendly washrooms, no Islamophobia
• Good to have: social causes, Ramadan services, local Muslim experiences
• Nice to have: no non-halal activities, recreational spaces with privacy

Where are they going? 

• Top destinations among Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries: Malaysia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia
• Top destinations among non-OIC countries: Singapore, Taiwan, UK

Key quote

“This market doesn’t drink alcohol, so they’re saving a lot of money and they have started putting their money towards travelling, meeting people, being more educated, more cultural” – Natasha Ahmed, editor of British Muslim Magazine, quoted in Geographical.

Sourced from Crescent Rating, Geographical