Misuse of the term ’halal tourism’ could hurt genuine operators
Photo: DUBAI, UAE, April 27, 2016: Arabian Travel Market 2016 in Dubai World Trade Center. Halal travel and tourism was one of the topics addressed at the industry trade fair / Maksym Poriechkin / Shutterstock.com
Halal or Muslim-friendly hotel operators are expressing concern over the possible misuse of ‘halal tourism’ and the consequences it could have on their operations.
The lack of consensus among the public over what defines halal tourism is a challenge facing the industry today. What is less discussed is how it could eventually encourage some companies to exploit the term for marketing purposes.
“The most important things to realize about halal travel is not only is it poorly understood by the general population, which our numbers clearly bare out, but there isn’t a commonly 100 percent accepted definition for it,” said Scott Booth, director of travel and tourism research at market research agency YouGov.
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