MUSLIMS are increasingly seeking out travel packages that are halal in nature or Muslim-friendly destinations to better enjoy their holiday, said industry players.

They said halal tourism is gaining huge popularity not just among among Muslims in Malaysia, but globally.

For Sarah Muhamad and her family, the halal tourism concept enables them to go on vacation without having to worry about the status of their food, as well as makes it easy for them to keep their prayers.

Such travel packages give them confidence that the trips were designed with religious needs in mind, said the 35-year-old.

“It is like going on holiday in the country, where we don’t have to worry about whether the food is halal. What is important is to have accommodation that serves only Muslims,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

Islamic Tourism Centre director Zain Azrai Rashid said many Muslims, including those overseas, have the same concerns as Sarah.

The demand for halal tourism started gaining traction 10 years ago, he said.

“The trend has grown rapidly, especially in the last five years.”

He said this is due to Muslims’ increased awareness about living life according to religious laws.

“It is becoming a trend because of Muslims’ better understanding about the matter these days. Many are constantly on the lookout for halal products, including Muslim-friendly travel destinations and halal tourism.”

This has contributed to a boost in Muslim visitors to Malaysia, he added.

The number of these tourists increased to 5.5 million in 2016 from 5.1 million the previous year.

According to MasterCard-CrescentRating’s Global Muslim Travel Index 2018, Malaysia has been the most popular destination in the Islamic tourism sector for eight years in a row.

Segment’s rapid growth

Salam Standard, a Muslim-focused travel information platform, said halal tourism will contribute US$183 billion (RM762.8 billion) to the global economy by next year, as well as the creation of 5.6 million jobs.

Muslim travellers to Malaysia are expected to contribute some US$3.6 billion to the country’s gross domestic product by 2020. In 2017, the segment contributed US$2.8 billion to the national economy.

Malaysia is expected to control a 22.7% share of the Asean Muslim tourism market, attracting a total inbound Muslim traveller spending of US$4.4 billion by the end of the decade, said the Global Economic Impact of Muslim Tourism and Future Growth Projection: 2017-2020 report.

The country currently collects some US$600 million in direct tax contributions from the inbound Muslim travel sector. This stands at almost a quarter, or 24.4%, of the total tax collected by the sector in Southeast Asia.

The report also projects the expenditure of Malaysia’s outbound Muslim travel sector to grow to US$4.8 billion by next year, up from US$3.7 billion in 2017.

Faeez Fadhlillah, co-founder and CEO of Muslim travel agency Tripfez, said the Muslim-friendly travel segment is among the fastest-growing in the tourism industry.

“The growth has been consistent over the last 10 years.”

He said this was what prompted him to explore the market.

“I saw it as a huge opportunity to bridge the gap that existed in the market. That was why I founded Tripfez.”

The agency, now four years into operations, focuses solely on meeting the needs of Muslim travellers.

As a pioneer portal in the segment, Tripfez also developed the Salam Standard platform, which rates accommodation worldwide based on its Muslim-friendliness.

“Generally, we work with hotels to assess their facilities and amenities,” said Faeez.

“At this juncture, we are working with 90,000 hotels around the world. We identify which of these hotels provide halal food, and cuisine preferred by Muslim customers.”

Non-Muslim hotel players keen

A Muslim-friendly holiday, said Faeez, adheres to Islamic requirements in terms of food and prayers.

“What we do is offer to take care of travellers’ food, and prayer times and place.

“For example, if you go to South Korea, you don’t just get to eat halal kebab. You also get the opportunity to try halal local food there.”

He added that the terms used to describe services vary according to countries.

“In Malaysia, we prefer to use ‘Muslim-friendly’ because the word ‘halal’ has several meanings to it.”

Zain Azrai said “Muslim-friendly” and “shariah-compliant” are different concepts.

“In Malaysia, we use ‘Muslim-friendly’ because it is moderate, as opposed to ‘shariah-compliant’, which gives the impression that the rules are stringent.

“The term ‘Muslim-friendly’ isn’t rigid. Hotels only need to provide halal food and a place for prayers.”

The “moderate” concept has attracted many non-Muslim hotel players, he added.

“There is high demand from international hotels. They can provide the relevant facilities for Muslims without having to close their bars.” – September 16, 2019.