HalalFocus.net

Islamic tourism can provide an avenue for Brunei to develop its tourism industry, in the long term goal of diversifying its economy. A presentation on "Islamic Tourism and Halal Hospitality" was delivered yesterday by David Smith, the chief executive of Global Futures and Foresight UK, during the second day of the International Halal Market Conference which took place at the main conference hall of the International Convention Centre in Brunei.

Thailand has created a Halal Food Services Standard for Tourism, developed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Halal Standard Institute of Thailand. What a clever plan! Restaurants are queued up in Malaysia trying to get Halal certification, and in the end most do not bother. This might be a more interesting approach to it.

Making halal cuisine readily available in tourist destinations will encourage more tourists from Muslim countries to visit the Philippines. This is according to officials of the Department of Tourism (DOT), who on Tuesday stressed the need to intensify the promotion and availability of halal food. This view is becoming more widespread as many countries around the world look to increase their share of Muslim tourists. The development of this Halal-related travel sector is likely to be one of the key growth areas in the travel and hospitality sector.

This article on 'Halal Tourism' is right in line with a talk that will be given by Mr David Smith, Chief Executive and Futurist, Global Futures and Foresight at the International Halal Market Conference being held in Brunei Darussalem on th 16-17 August 2008. The topic of Mr Smith's talk will be The Future of Islamic Tourism and the Halal Hospitality Business. More information on this conference and the programme can be downloaded from the top of this website.

Landmark Hotel Management LLC has announced that it will be launching 10 world-class Shariah-compliant hotels and serviced apartments in the UAE and KSA by the end of 2010. The move is in line with the company's strategy to cater to the increasing demand for Shariah-compliant projects in the Middle East.

Looks like Saudi Arabia is also looking to diversify into tourism. It will be interesting to see what this means and how they develop Halal tourism in their country. Separate facilities for men and women? They could be very successful in this new developing niche market.

Well did you know that 2009 is The Year of Faith Tourism? Now you do. Wonder if the new Halal and Islamic travel and tourism companies will be taking advantage of this? "All sectors of society are encouraged to become actively involved including the media, governments, travel providers/suppliers, faith communities, and individuals." Apparently faith based travel, tourism and hospitality is an $18 billion industry! Time to launch a few Halal hotels and Halal tour packages.

It is a good sign - and good business sense - that British Airways is catering to the Muslim Halal food market in the GCC region by giving them a nice serving of British cuisine Halal style! I thought the national dish for Britain was curry these days! This is all in line with the new push on Halal tourism. At least if you can eat good food in the air it might make you feel a bit better about paying the higher airfares.

Once again 'Halal Tourism' is coming into travel market news. It is a budding industry that cannot be ignored and the interesting thing is that one of the target markets for this sector is the European Muslims.

Here is a Halal tip from HalalFocus. CNNMoney is writing on how to get the discount air fares needed for travel these days when fuel surcharges are hiking prices up - while you can that is!

Dubai-based Almulla Hospitality plans an international chain of 150 Sharia-compliant hotels by 2015. Around 90 are planned in the Middle East and North Africa, but the remainder will be Europe, Asia and North America - and Almulla says it will develop non-Muslim brand names.

Though there is no mention of Halal product brands in this article it is showing that products going out internationally from this region are going to increase. Let's see with the recent article we put up about UAE increasing its production of Halal food products whether these manufacturers will also consider the international Halal marketplace.

Shariah-compliant hotels are mushrooming throughout the Middle East and elsewhere, boosted by an increase in the number of Arab tourists. The developers of these hotels believe these establishments will appeal to Muslims and non-Muslims alike as they provide a culturally unique and relaxing atmosphere for travellers.

Middle Eastern countries seeking to emulate Dubai’s successful foray into tourism are in search of ways to entice Middle Eastern tourists. By creating Halal packages that incorporate activities and services in keeping with Islamic law, companies are creating a concept that Euromonitor International predicts will prove successful. The recent World Travel Market report has a section on Halal travel (pages 18-21) that are worth reading for anyone interested in this sector.

Responding to growing demand from thousands of Muslim travellers every day, Thai Airways International has signed an MoU with the Islamic Committee of Samut Prakarn Province to receive permission for usage of the Halal Logo by the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand.

Creation of a national brand for halal products and formation of a single regulatory and certifying body are key to developing a halal industry that is capable of penetrating the $200-billion foreign market. Heads of at least six government line agencies in Central Mindanao made this assertion on Tuesday, among them the departments of Science and Technology, of Health, of Tourism and of Agriculture, as well as the National Economic and Development Authority.

Last July the Packaged Traveler Insider wrote that faith-based travel is one of the fastest growing markets, evolving from a one-time niche to mainstream. The article noted that religious travel earned a record $18 billion in 2006. Additionally, the World Tourism Organization reports that travelers from the Gulf Co-operation Council countries spend over $12 billion annually on leisure travel alone.

This is a platform for Global Competency in Technology Transfer (Biotechnology-Medicine for the Earth: Biodynamic Preparations) and Halal Healthcare - pharmaceutical & healthcare innovations). The new trend in medical tourism is attempting to be the new niche market. The potential is there, let's see if they can create the awareness and if countries will respond accordingly to attract this new type of tourist.

The Islamic bank of development intends to finanace constructing of a hotel-restaurant complex in Kazan (the Republic of Tatarstan) that would work in accordance with the laws of Islam. According to the bank’s press-service, the complex will become an important part of the Kazan infrastructure and is a charity project.

Jawhara Hotels part of the UAE based business conglomerate S.S. Lootah Group received the 'BS EN ISO 9001:2000' certification for its Jawhara Gardens Hotel. Jawhara Gardens is the flagship hotel of the Jawhara chain and has always pursued excellence in its processes where everything right from cleaning of the hotel up to accounting follows the Islamic and Halal concept.