Muslim travellers want sustainable, experiential and solo trips
Muslim travellers around the globe are
increasingly keen to visit sustainable destinations, according to the Global
Halal Tourism Summit at Arabian Travel Market.
For Chris Nader, vice president of luxury
group Shaza Hotels in the Middle East, the findings reflect global travel
trends. “Looking at sustainability, we can see our guests have a lot of
interest in this. On social media or in keyword searches when booking hotels
and trips, sustainability is very important - not only for Muslim travellers,
but for the entire Gen Z and millennial market.”
Female solo trips are another growing trend
in what is the fastest-growing sector of the world’s travel market. Mamoun
Hmedan, managing director for the region at travel search engine Wego, says:
“We always notice the behaviour of travellers, especially when you go into the
halal sector. We’ve been seeing the number of solo women travellers from this
part of the world increasing recently, and there’s a lot of room for that to
grow.”
It’s all about experience
Muslim travellers are also keen to do more
experiential travel. Having a halal-friendly hotel with alcohol-free minibars
and prayer facilities is no longer enough. Instead, travellers are seeking a
way to interact with the local culture, try halal local food and connect with
nature in the places they visit.
That’s something that travel operators are
trying to offer more of. Shaza Hotels has two new resorts set to open in
Sharjah; the first will offer state-of-the-art spa facilities with views of the
emirate’s Fossil Rock, as well as many cultural activities. The other will
offer a camping experience in the dunes with complete privacy.
Some destinations that were not previously
thought to attract as many Muslim travellers are also opening up. “We’re
focusing on resorts in Morocco, Spain and in the UK, too,” says Nader; these
are in addition to two new resorts on the Indonesian island of Lombok.
Halal travel tech
As with all things, technology is changing
the travel space for Muslim travellers. With a young demographic ? the global
average age of residents in Muslim countries is 22 ? technology and social
media have a large influence.
As well as apps that depict where the
nearest mosque, halal restaurant or ablution facility is, a new booking engine
launched today where the focus is firmly on halal travel. Rihaala.com is a
place where travellers can book flights and hotels that suit faith
requirements. It also has an inspiration wall where Instagram posts from
halal-friendly influencers are uploaded to inspire travellers.
Link->https://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/travel/muslim-travellers-want-sustainable-experiential-and-solo-trips-1.855677
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