Muslim Friendly Tourism (MFT):

Understanding the Supply and Demand Sides

In the OIC Member Countries

1.2.4 Demand Side Key Themes (Reasons and Motivation for Travel)

The key themes from the demand side are to be looked at from the perspective of the

motivation for travel. Based on a number of interviews with travel agents, tour operators and

inquiries on online travel platforms, four broad travel themes are identified among the Muslim

travelers. These are religious travel, leisure travel, business travel and healthcare travel.

Majority of Muslim travel is for Leisure (including Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR)). It

accounts for around 75 percent of the travel. Religious travel constitutes around 10 percent of

the total Muslim visitors and is primarily Hajj and Umrah travel. Business travel is around 9

percent to 10 percent. Travel for medical or healthcare reasons is less than 1 percent of the

Muslim travel market

Religious Travel

Religious travel for Muslims has always been an integral part of Islamic faith, with a significant

demand due to Hajj and Umrah. They can be classified into three areas: Traveling to perform

Hajj, Umrah and to other Islamic sites. The

Hajj

is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah,

Saudi Arabia and it is the fifth pillar of Islam. All Muslims are expected to perform Hajj at least

once in a lifetime provided he/she is in good health and is able to afford it. The Hajj occurs

during the last month of the Islamic calendar— Dhul Hijjah. The Islamic calendar, which is

based on the lunar system, has a 12 month cycle, revolving around 355 days; this is around 10

days less than the Gregorian calendar, which is why the Islamic months, including the month of

Dhul Hijjah, vary each year. Yearly, the month of Ramadan advances by 10 days compared to

the Gregorian calendar.

Umrah

is also a pilgrimage to Makkah performed by Muslims. It can be undertaken at any time

of the year. It is sometimes called the ‘minor pilgrimage’ or ‘lesser pilgrimage,’ and is not

compulsory but highly recommended. The third type of religious travel includes traveling to

Masjid Al-Aqsa, Najf, etc. Religious travel is not the focus of this study.

Leisure Travel

The majority of the demand spurred in the MFT sector is from Muslims who are traveling for

leisure. As such, the main focus of this study is the leisure travel segment. Main motivations for

travel currently by Muslims within the leisure travel market are as follows:



Sightseeing, Shopping & Dining

: This is currently the main reason for travel among

the growing middle class segment of Muslim travelers. This may also include beach

holidays. About two-thirds of leisure or vacation travel for Middle Eastern tourists

takes place in the hottest summer season and during school holidays from June to

August. According to MTSI 2015, Muslim travelers spent USD 32 billion in Shopping

and USD 25 billion in dining while traveling.



Visiting friends and relatives (VFR):

VFR tourism or VFR travel is a substantial form

of travel worldwide. This is especially the case with the Muslim community.



Honeymooners:

There is a growing Muslim honeymoon segment emerging.

CrescentRating calculations based on World Tourism Organization (2015); UNWTO Tourism Highlights; Madrid, Spain,

UNWTO.