Abstract
With the rising numbers of the global Muslim population, businesses around the world have started to pay attention to the needs of that growing and lucrative market segment. The travel sector is no exception to that trend, giving growth to a variety of Muslim Friendly Tourism (MFT) products and services. In acknowledgement of the importance of the MFT sector, many governments around the globe are promoting themselves as Muslim-friendly destinations and in some cases are supporting the private sector's efforts in the development of Muslim-friendly products and services. While a number of mainstream tourism providers have modified their offerings to accommodate the needs of Muslim travelers, an increasing number of specialized providers, focusing only on MFT products and services, have emerged in the past decade. The purpose of this Study is to enable all Muslim Friendly Tourism (MFT) stakeholders to develop high-impact MFT product development and marketing strategies and initiatives. The scope of this study covers the current global landscape of MFT products and services, trends in marketing MFT products and services, government policies in support of MFT, survey-based input on current Muslim travelers behavior and decision making, survey-based input on the preferences of Muslims travelers at various touchpoints of their journey, country case studies on MFT products offerings and marketing, and policy recommendations for effective MFT product development and marketing strategies. The Study combines primary and secondary research tools and sources to fulfill its objectives. Primary research used includes a global Muslim Traveler Survey that was conducted in 2016 from March 6th to April 20th to discover the preferences of the Muslim traveler, 25 in-depth interviews were conducted in person and by telephone with MFT market stakeholders to provide insights into the MFT market, and eight country case studies were selected to provide insights into MFT products and services development and marketing strategies. The secondary sources used include previous market studies, trade and sector reports, academic articles and research papers, government, international organizations and press publications. 'Muslim-friendly' travel defined: The tourism industry has been using a variety of terms to describe the products and services targeting Muslim travelers ranging from "Halal Travel," "Muslim-friendly," "Islamic tourism" to "Shariah compliant. In the literature, academics mostly use the terms "Halal Tourism" and "Islamic Tourism" in reference to tourism products and services addressing Muslim travelers' needs. In a previous study, commissioned by COMCEC, Muslim-Friendly Tourism was equated with Halal Tourism and defined as "The activities of Muslim travelers who do not wish to compromise their faith-based needs while travelling for a purpose, which is permissible." 1 Muslim travel needs: To have a clear understanding of the relative importance of 'Muslimfriendly' travel needs and nature, a global online consumer survey was conducted from March 6 th to April 20 th , 2016. With regard to the geographical distribution of survey respondents, more than a third of the respondents (36%) live in GCC countries, close to a third of the respondents (29%) live in European and North American countries, 18% live in Asian countries while respondents from African countries represent 15% of the sample. Two thirds of the respondents are residents of OIC countries. The findings of the survey, with regard to traveler journey, consumer destination selection criteria, and religious needs at various journey touchpoints are; With regard to the purpose of their trips, leisure topped the list (62%), followed by visits to family and friends (54%), religious (32%), business (21%), education (16%), and medical purposes (5%). As for whom they usually travel with, 68% of the 1 “Muslim-Friendly Tourism: Understanding the Demand and Supply Sides in the OIC Member Countries.” COMCEC, Feb. 2016. Web.
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