“It is not entirely wrong for anyone to think that a Muslim traveller will look Middle Eastern, simply because the majority of the people who live in the Middle East are indeed Muslims. However, what many people do not know is that significant Muslim populations reside in non-Muslim-majority destinations. Therefore, one must recognise that Muslim travellers are diverse. Muslims live in every part of the world, and its rich diversity is certainly part of their identity,” Noor elaborated.
He highlighted the Muslim travel sector’s vital role in the tourism economy and urged stakeholders to deepen their understanding of this market. With one in four people worldwide identifying as Muslim, this market extends beyond religious journeys to include leisure and business, representing a significant, diverse segment that shouldn’t be overlooked.
“It is essential for destinations, especially National Tourism Organisations (NTOs), to invest in understanding this market. By studying its demographic, purchasing power, areas of interest, frequency, seasonality, and diversity, they can tailor their offerings just as they would for any other travel segment.
“At PATA, we believe that an in-depth study can provide destinations with the insights needed to develop products and services that are inclusive to Muslim travellers.”
ADDRESSING COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS
Noor underscored the importance of education within the tourism industry to address the common misconceptions about Muslim travellers.
“One of the general misconceptions is that Muslims will only travel for religious purposes. This overlooks the fact that, just like everyone else, Muslims travel for a variety of reasons, including holidays, adventure, shopping, sports, culture, heritage, and more.
“The second misconception is about the provision of Halal food to Muslim travellers, with some mistakenly believing that vegetarian curry and rice are equivalent to offering a halal meal.”
He noted that the entire tourism value chain, including airlines, hotels, and tour operators, could better cater to this segment by collaborating with Muslim community leaders. Noor also encouraged the Muslim travel community to help destinations see how they could contribute to economic development through tourism.
CREATING INCLUSIVE TOURISM OFFERINGS
Noor said tourism was a force for good, with all travellers deserving respect, a principle in the Association’s Code of Ethics. He urged tourism stakeholders to collaborate with experts like the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) of Malaysia to enhance products through cultural and religious understanding.
“Training, certification and communication can play a significant role in increasing the confidence of Muslim travellers to travel to a certain destination and purchase their tourism products. In order to be more inclusive, many destinations already offer services such as prayer rooms at airports and shopping centres, lists of halal restaurants and the certification of Muslim-friendly hotels. However, there is a rising need to focus on Islamic financial compliance, ensuring that services such as travel insurance, credit card payments, and currency exchange meet Islamic guidelines, as these are becoming an integral service to the Muslim community.”
