Muslim Friendly Tourism:
Developing and Marketing MFT Products and Services
In the OIC Member Countries
127
Sector Global Initiatives MFT Initiatives Gaps/Opportunities
 Pricing Premium pricing on
high-demand and
differentiated
products
Competitive Pricing  Continue competitive
pricing for undifferentiated
products  ʘ
 Charge premium pricing for
value-added and high
demand products  ʘ
Traditional Advertising
Both mainstream and MFT markets use traditional advertising as one component of their
marketing mix. Although print advertising is in the decline319 , tourism suppliers continue to
produce print brochures as well as run direct mail campaigns. Serendipity Tailormade, which
is a travel agency in the United Kingdom focused on Muslim travelers, sends out direct mail
postcards that targets the 50+ age-group, who are not as active online, to promote their
escorted group tours. Companies should develop innovative integrated campaigns that
combine both traditional and digital advertising.
Digital Promotion
Both mainstream and MFT suppliers are engaged in digital advertising. There’s an
opportunity for MFT advertisers to use digital advertising more creatively.
Social Media: JW Marriott Cancun Resort and CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resort in Mexico
engaged five travel video bloggers (vbloggers) to travel to Cancun to produce videos
highlighting the two resorts as well as post their experiences on their Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram accounts, using the hashtag #gottequila. The campaign reached 1.8 million viewers
and generated media value of $378,280. 320
Fairmont Hotels and Resorts in Toronto Canada offers its Twitter followers special offers and
incentives such as “an American Express Partnership that offered a free night for cardholders.
Twitter followers that interact with Fairmont occasionally receive gifts and giveaways as a
reward for following.” 321
Burj Al Arab Jumeirah launched an Instagram campaign that involved social media
influencers and high net-worth individuals who engaged with the local community through
the hashtag #MyDubai. The #MyDubai initiative was launched earlier this year by His
Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai to create an
autobiography of Dubai through pictures and videos. More than 1.5 million posts using the
hashtag have been shared so far on Instagram. Pictures selected from #MyDubai moments
campaign were projected on Burj Al Arab’s sail. 322
Marketing Videos . Most mainstream and some MFT travel suppliers are active in producing
marketing videos. These should be uploaded to the company’s website, shared on social
media as well as used for YouTube ads.
Virtual Reality: Several mainstream brands have started experimenting with using virtual
reality as a promotion tool. Marriott Hotels offers its guests a virtual reality travel
experiences which allow guests to see Marriott’s offerings in remote destinations. The travel
319 Thompson, Derek. "The Collapse of Print Advertising in 1 Graph." The Atlantic. N.p., 28 Feb. 2012. Web.
320 Shankman, Samantha. "The Best Hotel Social Media Campaigns of 2013." Skift. N.p., 21 Oct. 2013. Web.
321 Ibid.
322 Awwad, Salma. "#MyDubai Moments to Be Projected on Burj Al Arab's Sail." Arabian Business. N.p., 24 Sept. 2014. Web.