Muslim Friendly Tourism:
Developing and Marketing MFT Products and Services
In the OIC Member Countries
130
element in destination selection. On the other hand, mainstream businesses are starting to
charge a premium on high demand services. The rideshare company Uber started charging
surge pricing which increases the price of rides when there is high demand. 329 Similarly,
OpenTable, the restaurant reservation app introduced a premium pricing option which
charges customers a reservation cost for booking seats at popular upscale restaurants.330 The
all-inclusive resorts sector is another example of the mainstream travel sector shifting away
from a cost-centric focus to competing by providing a more refined experience. Those resorts
are differentiating themselves from competition by targeting specific customer types, such as
singles, couples, and health conscious consumers.331 MFT suppliers should continue
competitive pricing for undifferentiated products but charge premium pricing for value-
added and high demand products.
329 DHOLAKIA, UTPAL M., and GEORGE R. Brown. "Uber’s Surge Pricing: 4 Reasons Why Everyone Hates It." N.p., 27 Jan.
2016. Web.
330 Ibid
331 “Muslim-Friendly Beach Resorts: Opportunities and Trends”, Salaam Gateway and DinarStandard, January 2016