Muslim Friendly Tourism:
Developing and Marketing MFT Products and Services
In the OIC Member Countries
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significantly increased. However, probably the biggest surprise for the managers and owners
was that a great part of that demand came from non-Muslim Spanish families that were
looking for a safer environment away from alcohol to spend their holidays.246
 Muslim-friendly Restaurants
 There are many Halal takeaway options that can be found in almost any city across
Spain, but these are mainly composed of fast food and kebabs. A resilient initiative is
that of Nur Restaurant, in Cordoba, which offers high quality dining inspired by
traditional Andalusian cuisine including Halal options on their menu. The restaurant
is managed by Paco Morales, a Michelin Star chef.
 Another initiative is that of Cuna45 coffee shop in Seville that offers specialty artisan
coffee in a Halal modern environment. They have an edge over most other coffee
shops because of the quality of their coffee; because of this they are able to attract the
Muslim consumer looking for a Halal alternative without sacrificing quality and
design, locals and tourists, as well as the mainstream consumer that is not bothered
because they do not serve alcohol or pork.247
 Tourists know that Spain is not a Muslim country, and because of this they are
satisfied with any sign that says that a particular establishment is Halal. Since there is
low demand on the consumer side for more strict control, there is also low supply on
the business side. This is not to say that those restaurants are not Halal, but that they
have not been certified by a Halal certifying entity.
 The most important Halal certifying entity in Spain, at the moment, is Garantía Halal,
which is managed by Instituto Halal. Becoming certified could be an advantage
because is an added value that it is otherwise lost. Many of the Muslim travelers do
not spend their money in restaurants because they do not trust them, and they end up
in McDonalds or with a kebab.
 Given that the economic expenditure of the Muslim traveler is above the average, they
end up spending a third of what they would in food because they do not have an
appropriate Halal option.248
5. Distribution
Instituo Halal and Innova TaxFree have developed a platform to gather all Muslim-friendly
offers in Spain called Halal International Tourism. In conjunction with this they have also
developed a loyalty card program that offers the Muslim traveler discounts in several
establishments. The program offers the Muslim tourists visiting Spain a range of special offers
and advantages in a selection of tourism establishments affiliated with Halal International
Tourism. The users of this program will benefit, amongst other advantages, from a 5 to 20
percent discount on their purchases, the refund of the value-added tax if they don’t belong to
the European Union and a respectful treatment in their religious beliefs.
246 Mariam Isabel Romero, Interview, Cordoba, 2016
247 Abu Qasim Molinero, Interview, Seville, 2016
248 Mariam Isabel Romero, Interview, Cordoba, 2016