Category: Travel & Hospitality
Taiwan: Bureau seeks to attract more Muslim tourists
The Tourism Bureau yesterday said it aimed to have 50 restaurants certified as Muslim-friendly as it looks at options to further tap into the Muslim tourist market. The cost of hosting Muslims is slightly higher than that of non-Muslim tourists, but the Halal certification would help hotels attract more tourists from Muslim nations.
UAE-NZ ties growing
Trade figures show New Zealand exports to the GCC have grown from $695 million in 2009 to $1.2 billion in 2011 that shows a 71 per cent increase over the two-year period. Dubai’s attraction to more tourists will increase demand for food and beverage products and it will provide opportunities to New Zealand companies to boost exports.
UAE: Marketing Survey Suggests that UAE Residents Eat Out 11 Times a Week
This latest report was commissioned by LivingSocial as part of its ongoing efforts to discover and share information about local social trends. The survey itself was based on the dining habits provided by 1,131 residents.
Malaysia ranked top Halal friendly holiday destination
Crescentrating.com, a travel portal for Halal-conscious Muslim travellers, said that Malaysia was placed on the top spot because it has much to offer to Muslim travellers. Second was Egypt, followed by Turkey, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, Brunei and Qatar, according to the survey conducted by the portal.
India: ‘Kashmir ideally suited for Saudi tourists’
A high-level delegation of tourism and culture ministers, government officials, bureaucrats, airline operators and tourism experts from different states of India is currently visiting the Kingdom to familiarize Saudis with all that “Incredible India” has to offer.
Egypt: Egyptian tourism workers reject proposal for halal tourism
Egyptians in the tourism sector are worried that proposals by Salafi political leaders advocating halal tourism would hurt a sector that is already in decline following the wave of political protests this year.
Egypt: Egypt’s Islamists offer controversial vision for ‘halal’ tourism
Islamists are dominating Egypt’s elections and some of them have a new message for tourists: welcome, but no booze, bikinis or mixed bathing at beaches, please.
Egypt’s Islamists try to calm fears over tourism
Egypt’s main Islamist parties on Sunday launched separate conferences aimed at promoting tourism as they scrambled to allay fears that the lucrative industry is under threat from religious conservatism.
Are airline meals labeled Muslim Meals really Halal?
The MOML – “Muslim Meal” is just a meal “without pork and without Alcohol “(In the jargon Airline Caterer term it is called a “Non-Pork”-Meal). Everything else does not meet the Islamic dietary laws. It is also not the laid down claim that the meat would be Halal slaughtered or the ingredients are Halal-compliant.
Malaysia: Halal Internal Auditors Programme for hotels
Bachok, Kelantan–The Minister of International Trade & Industry, Dato’ Seri Mustapa Mohamed, launched a specially designed programme on Halal Internal Auditors for hotels in Kota Bharu, Kelantan on 23 October 2011. The initiative is organised by Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC).
Bosnia – Uncharted Land
Bosnia could easily become a major halaal tourist destination, tapping the huge potential of the growing Muslim consumer market, the country’s cultural heritage and strategic geographic location, according to Amir Sakic, the head of the regional halaal certification institution – the Agency for Halaal Quality Certification.
Malaysian company wants to expand Halal food services to Russia
LSG Skychef-Brahim’s Sdn Bhd, the world’s biggest Halal flight kitchen caterer, is embarking on expanding its services to new markets such as China, Eastern Europe as well as scouting for opportunities in the former Soviet states and the Middle East.
Makkah for the rich: Islam’s holiest site ‘turning into Vegas’
To the al-Saud monarchy, Makkah is their vision of the future – a steel and concrete metropolis built on the proceeds of enormous oil wealth that showcases their national pride. Behind closed doors – in places where the religious police cannot listen in – residents of Makkah are beginning to refer to their city as Las Vegas, and the moniker is not a compliment.
Malaysia: 600 rich Pakistanis opt for 2nd home scheme in Malaysia
About 600 Pakistanis have recently availed Malaysia My Second Home scheme that offers 10-year residency visa in the country. Interestingly from 2002 to April 2009, about 13,076 people from more than 100 countries all over the world opted for this scheme and Pakistan was at the 7th position in terms of the number of people who got the scheme. Being a Muslim country, Pakistan must get the advantage of producing Halal products, and Malaysia is now providing technical support for this.
Muslim Travel to US on the Rise after Sharp Drop Post 9/11
After a sharp decline following 9/11, Muslim travel to the US is on the rise, though not yet to pre 9/11 levels. Crescentrating, a Muslim lifestyle friendly travel portal and rating service, estimates this market to be $100 billion globally in 2010. Crescentrating is now expanding to cover hotels in the United States which will enable US hotels to tap into this lucrative niche travel market.
UAE: Muslim Holiday-makers head to ‘now affordable’ Europe
Holiday-makers from Qatar are heading to destinations in Europe, making use of the present economic frost sweeping across the euro zone countries, tourism industry experts have observed.
Thailand:THAI operates certified Halal Food kitchen
Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) has received authorization from the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand for the use of the Halal Logo and HAL-Q symbol.
UAE: Is Ramadan a month of fasting, or feasting?
Although there are no figures available for Dubai, the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi released figures in August 2010 showing that approximately 500 tonnes of food gets thrown away in the capital during Ramadan. An unholy amount of food gets wasted during Ramadan as hotels outdo each other in putting up huge iftar spreads comprising 40-50 dishes that leave patrons biting off more than they can chew.
Opinion: Shariah compliant hotels
TODAY, we have fashion hotels, underwater hotels, ice hotels, seven star hotels, etc., and, for the devout, syariah-compliant hotels! In the last 15 years, I’ve travelled to more 35 countries and stayed in over 100 hotels, and most of today’s syariah-Shariah compliant (SC) hotel’s neither provide a religious experience nor value for money.
Opinion: Islamic finance, Halal industry & Shariah-compliant hotels during Ramadhan
Ramadan is a period of introspection for Muslims and Islamic financial institutions to better observe Islamic teachings, appreciate our blessings and be moved to action by the burden of others.
