Muslim Friendly Tourism:
Developing and Marketing MFT Products and Services
In the OIC Member Countries
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they visit, but they are also looking to gain cultural, historical or Islamic knowledge that they
did not have before. They feel more at ease when Halal products and services are offered by
Muslims.
Maximum adaptability to the client’s profile, with specific marketing material and different
tours depending the area that is been targeted, is also a key element.
The interest of the national and local institutions towards MFT has been described as ‘shy’255.
Last year (2015) was the first time the Fitur, one of the most important tourism fairs in Spain,
invited Instituto Halal to give a presentation about MFT in Spain. There has also been some
support for Halal at congresses and fairs. This was the case with the 1st Halal Tourism
Conference in Granada in 2014, and from the Madrid City Council for EXPOHALAL 2016, a
Halal focused international fair, including MFT products. There was also contribution of
$145,818 by the Cordoba City Council towards the organization of the Halal International
Congress in 2015 in Cordoba.256
The Seville Mosque Foundation is currently involved in a project that will result in the
promotion of Spain as MFT destination to millions of people in Malaysia. The project itself will
be one of the biggest direct marketing plans for Spain as a Muslim-friendly destination done
to date.257 They will bring four famous women from Malaysia to take a tour through Granada,
Seville, Cordoba and Algeciras that it will be filmed. Afterwards these women will upload the
2-3 minute films to their social media, once a week over six months. The aim of the project is
to promote the construction of an Islamic Cultural Center in Seville, but indirectly it will result
in the promotion of Spain as a MFT.
The Instituto Halal plays an important role in MFT sector in Spain by promoting and making
the general public aware of the Halal concept. They also work closely with the tourism
industry by certifying Halal establishments and developing products for the MFT industry,
such the Al Andalus Culinary Lab, a Halal cooking workshop inspired by the Al Andalus
traditional cuisine and which is conducted in collaboration with Paco Morales, a one Michelin
Star Chef, or the Halal International Tourism platform and it services, developed together
with Innova TaxFree Group.258
7. Pricing
There is a general consensus that Halal services can be slightly more expensive than
mainstream ones in Spain. This is because there are not as many Halal restaurants or Muslim-
friendly hotels in Spain, and that narrows down the possibilities of finding competitive prices.
MFT tour operators cannot compete with the big tour operators and wholesalers.
Most business interviewed as part of this case study agree that Muslim travelers are willing to
pay more for tailored services and the knowhow about Halal in Spain. Muslim travelers
usually travel with family and extended family, and having access to Halal services is
important for them, therefore they are willing to pay a little more to make sure they have
255 Hisham Melara, Interview, Granada, 2016
256 Alba, Alfonso. "Ayuntamiento Y Diputación Aportan 128.000 Euros Para Organizar El Foro 'Halal' | CORDÓPOLIS, El
Diario Digital De Córdoba." 18 Mar. 2015. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.
257 Ibrahim Hernandez, Interview. Sevilla, 2016
258 Mariam Isabel Romero, Interview, Cordoba, 2016