Muslim Friendly Tourism:
Developing and Marketing MFT Products and Services
In the OIC Member Countries
124
Transportation
An increasing number of airports are accommodating the needs of Muslim travelers by providing
Halal food options and prayer spaces. Mainstream airports are looking to transform themselves
to destinations by offering amenities that range from fine dining to ice skating, Singapore Changi
Airport has cinemas; Hong Kong International airport offers a nine-hole golf course; Seoul’s
Incheon Airport offers an ice skating rink; Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport holds art exhibits and
provides classical piano lessons; and Singapore’s Changi Airport has a rooftop swimming pool.
Many airports offer sleeping pods for long layovers in addition to spa services. There is an
opportunity to customize these services to Muslim guests by offering gender segregated sleeping
pods, private massage and spa services, also segregated by gender.
Accommodation
MFT Accommodation features. Basic MFT services at hotels include providing Halal food and
prayer spaces, and possibly removing alcohol. Specialized MFT resorts also offer segregated pool
and spa facilities. In Malaysia, hotels applying to the Ministry of Tourism and Culture for a
conventional star rating must also meet some minimum conditions that directly relate to being
Muslim-friendly. Hotels that want to further adopt Muslim-friendly services may adopt the
Muslim Friendly Hospitality Services standard (MFHS).
Muslim-friendly home sharing was among the top needed services by Muslim travelers. There is
an opportunity to provide home sharing that accommodates Muslim needs such as providing a
prayer mat and Qibla direction as well as having hosts indicate closest Halal restaurant and
mosque.
In accommodating the Chinese market, Marriott hotels in top destinations for Chinese tourists,
including New York, London, Paris, Dubai and Tokyo, offer a Marriott international WeChat
Travel Concierge that provides Chinese guests with tips on places to visit, food to eat, and
activities to do.317 Information on nearby mosques and Halal restaurants can similarly be
provided through WhatsApp or a hotel concierge app. For WhatsApp, guests who wish to receive
information via WhatsApp messages would provide their mobile numbers to the front desk. The
hotel should use a WhatsApp scheduling tool to deliver timely messages based on the duration of
the guests’ stay and any special happenings, for example when guests are staying during
Ramadan, messages should be tailored accordingly. For the hotel concierge app, guests would
need to download it on their phone. It could provide useful information such as the location of
local mosques and halal restaurants as well as prayer times. It would also send push notifications
with timely messages, for example if there is a special Muslim related event, such as special
entertainment or a Ramadan buffet.
An aboriginal-themed hotel in Vancouver has 18 rooms each featuring a unique theme. The
rooms were designed by six aboriginal artists and Vancouver-based interior design firms. 318
Shaza Hotels in the GCC is similarly themed in a contemporary Arabian style and focuses on
Arabian hospitality.
Food and Beverage
Halal certification. Halal restaurants are either certified Halal by a recognized Halal
certification or announced to be Halal by the owner, who is usually a Muslim. Kosher
317 Marriott International’s Multicultural Smarts Newsletter, April 2016
318 "Skwachays Lodge." Tourism Vancouver. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 May 2016.