Halal tourism

Halal Chinese restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan.

Halal tourism is a subcategory of tourism which is geared towards Muslim families who abide by rules of Islam. The hotels in such destinations do not serve alcohol and have separate swimming pools and spa facilities for men and women. Malaysia, Turkey and many more countries are trying to attract Muslim tourists from all over the world offering facilities in accordance with the religious beliefs of Muslim tourists. Currently, there exists no internationally recognized standards on Halal tourism. However, MyRating from Malaysia provides the world's first government recognized Halal tourism rating standard.^[1]

The Halal tourism industry also provides flights where no alcohol or pork products are served, prayer timings are announced, and religious programs are broadcast as part of entertainment offered on board.

A Euromonitor International report released at World Travel Market in 2007 in London says that there is potential for a boom in halal tourism in the Middle East. The report mentions a market for a halal startup airline, which could provide halal food, prayer calls, Qur'an in seat pockets and provide separate sections for male and female travelers.^[2][3]

Many international hotels do serve halal food that is slaughtered in accordance with the teachings of Islamic Sharia and is free of any substances forbidden by Islam such as pork and alcohol. Some hotels have employed people from the Muslim world to provide translation services and other assistance that may be needed by tourists from Muslim countries.^[4]

The Economist's article on Halal Business published on May 25, 2013: "It is not just manufactured halal products. Services such as halal holidays are booming, too. Crescent Tours, a London-based online travel specialist, books clients into hotels in Turkey that have separate swimming pools for men and women, no-alcohol policies and halal restaurants, and rents out private holiday villas with high walls."^[5]

According to the MasterCard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI), halal tourism was worth US$145 billion in 2014 and is expected to grow to $200 billion by 2020.^[6]

References

1. World's First Government Recognized Halal Tourism Rating Standard
2. Halal tourism could blossom: AME Info
3. Untapped Halal Tourism: Islam Online
4. Halal tourism on the rise worldwide: Al Watan Daily
5. Halal Business Consuming passions: The Economist
6. Melinda Healy (13 August 2015). "How halal tourism is travelling in the right direction". The National. Retrieved 17 February 2016.

External links

• The Guardian - Crescent Tours Halal Holidays
• CNN Travel - Halal Tourism's Moment In The Sun
• BBC - Halal Holidays In The Sun
• The Economist - Crescent Tours Halal Holidays
• MyRating - FAQ on Halal Tourism