In recent years, the term ‘Halal holidays’ has become more prominent in the travel and tourism industry. The ever-growing Muslim tourism industry is so to be worth billions and therefore is being embraced by non-Muslim countries all over the world. Initiatives are being taken to make cities Muslim-friendly, in other words, more accessible for Muslim tourists.
A few factors play a major role in making a destination Halal-friendly.
The following, in no particular order, are the top five factors that influence Muslim travelers.
The first factor is the availability of Halal food and restaurants. Muslim tourists generally don’t feel comfortable having to dine at places that serve non-Halal items including alcohol. If a destination wants to become Halal friendly, offering a wide selection of Halal food would be the first step. In addition to not being made with any pork substance, the food also has to be alcohol-free and any meat used needs to be slaughtered in a way that adheres to Islam and its specific laws.
The second factor is the availability of mosques and other prayer facilities. Muslims pray 5 times a day and thus before visiting a particular city; Muslim travelers always look up the closest mosque or prayer facility. Most major destinations do tend to have mosques since a portion of their population consists of Muslims. In addition to having mosques, the city also needs to have prayer facilities at major attractions, malls, parks and other places that are expected to be visited by tourists. Most Middle-Eastern countries, being Muslim dominated, do tend to have at least a couple of prayer rooms scattered around large malls and parks in addition to the several full-sized mosques located all over the city.
The third factor deals with how accommodating the destination is to Muslim women and women in hijab. This is in regards to mosques, hotels, public transportation, attractions and so on. If a city wants to be Muslim-friendly, it also needs to provide prayer facilities for women at mosques as well as major tourist attractions, hotels in the area need to have separate pools, spas, gyms and leisure facilities that women can enjoy in a comfortable environment; or at least different hours for men and women, as well as offering public transportation that is women-friendly. For instance, the public buses and trains in Dubai tend to have a separate seating area for women, and there are special taxis driven by ladies to ensure that women passengers feel safe if they ever have to travel alone.
The fourth is if hotels are Muslim-friendly. To become a Muslim-friendly hotel, the hotel needs to be Halal certified. The food served needs to be Halal and alcohol-free, the hotel needs to offer separate facilities for women, as mentioned above, the hotel should be able to cater to a guests dining requests during the month of Ramadan, the hotel should also be able to provide a list of nearby Halal restaurants and mosques, staff should be trained to know questions that could be asked specifically by Muslim guests and non-Halal activities like night clubs and the sort should not be available. In addition to those, what makes a hotel even more Muslim-friendly is tiny details like having copies of the Holy Quran and prayer mats if needed by any guest and making sure that each hotel room has the qibla marked.
The availability of family friendly entertainment is the last major factor. Muslims tend to travel with families and in large groups and therefore, attractions and activities available at the destination need to be ones that will keep the entire family occupied and content. Hotels should ensure that all guests are adhering to the Islamic swimming dress code, for instance. This should also apply to mixed beaches and water parks.
In addition to that, the destination should be Muslim-friendly and ensure that Muslims are not being harassed by the locals. Islamic Heritage tours are also things that Muslim travelers look for when booking a holiday. Destinations could have tour operators that know the sensitivities of Islam and therefore plan activities with regards to that, by for instance not planning a tour to a winery.
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