New online halal hotel reference tool launched

Salam Standard, an online hotel reference tool for Muslim travelers, was launched yesterday at the World Halal Travel Summit & Exhibition (WHTS) in Abu Dhabi.

The new online tool helps Muslim travelers access information on Muslim-friendly services and facilities available at hotels and resorts worldwide.

Muslim travelers spent more than $142 billion on tourism in 2014, according to Thomson Reuters.

Salam Standard creator Faeez Fadhlillah, the CEO and co-founder of one of Asia Pacific's leading travel and tourism companies, Lagisatu Travel, said: "With this figure set to rise to more than $233 billion in 2020, which accounts for 25 percent of total global travel expenditure, there is a need to provide this influential group of travellers with tourism products that make them feel at home."

Malaysia-based Lagisatu Travel owns Lagisatu.com, Asia’s rapidly-growing hotel comparison website and world’s first halal metasearch engine.

HOW SALAM STANDARD WORKS

Salam Standard divides properties into three categories – Bronze, Silver and Gold – based on the range of facilities and services they offer to guests.

For example, Bronze-standard properties must have, or make available, prayer mats and qiblat directions in the room.

Silver-rated properties are expected to provide a list of halal restaurants nearby and alcohol-free guestrooms.

Properties with Gold status must also offer halal food certified by a recognised certification body.

According to Lagisatu, more than 10,000 properties worldwide have already joined Salam Standard, including major hotel chains such as AccorHotels, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Rotana Hotels & Resorts, Anantara Hotels & Resorts, and Rixos Hotels.

Indonesia's biggest hospitality firm, the Archipelago Hotel Group, as well as Tauzia Hotel Management and Berjaya Hotels & Resorts, are also Salam Standard partners.

CRESCENTRATING

According to Fadhlillah, Salam Standard may be similar to the rating and accreditation standard for Muslim-friendly travel services provided by Singapore-based CrescentRating but only to the extent of effectively connecting with halal-conscious Muslim travelers.  “We do not charge hotels or properties at any point to get listed and branded based on the three categories,” he told Salaam Gateway. CrescentRating’s Basic plan is free but it charges for its Premium plan.

“Our aim is to encourage hotels to join the platform and educate them on the importance of providing halal-friendly facilities to Muslim travelers. For the properties, this platform offers an inclusive approach towards catering to guests,” he said. 

AVAILABLE IN THREE WEEKS

Salam Standard is currently only accessible to business clients, travel agents and tourism promoting organizations.

“However, it will be available for customers in three weeks time,” he added. 

According to Fadhlillah, Salam Standard is based on the feedback of 50,000 Muslim travelers from around the world.

"We conducted an extensive global campaign asking those surveyed what services and amenities were most important to them when travelling. The Salam Standard helps them select hotels according to this Muslim-focused criteria - no other review portal provides such comprehensive information," he said.

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