Muslim Friendly Tourism:
Developing and Marketing MFT Products and Services
In the OIC Member Countries
139
MFT ‘Progressing’ and ‘NewMarkets’ OIC Countries
 Clear ‘Halal’ food credentials for food service venues (restaurants): Given the
very strong preference from the Study’s survey on the need for Halal food options
at destination restaurants/food chains (96% saying it is ‘important’, and 71%
saying it is ‘extremely important.) it is important that for the OIC destination food
services the ‘Halal’ food credentials are made clear. This means ensuring that the
countries ‘Halal’ food compliance/ certification process is clearly adopted and
communicated to its customers (e.g. through posted certificate, similar to other
health quality/ business notices.)
MFT ‘Mature Markets ’ OIC Countries
 Experience local food hospitality: In addition to strengthening ‘Halal’ food
credentials of food service venues, MFT ‘Mature Markets’ can explore innovative
services of ‘local food hospitality.’ Similar to ‘Eat With’ and other meal sharing
platforms, where guests eat a meal at a local person’s home, along with other
guests, there is an opportunity to develop a version tailored for Muslims. The
Muslim-focused meal sharing platform would have Muslim hosts who offer Halal
food and do not serve alcohol, as well as non-Muslim hosts who are trained to
accommodate the needs of Muslim guests.
 ‘Halal’ food online reviews: In some OIC markets where there is a mix of Halal
versus non-Halal food and beverage options available (e.g. in Turkey, Malaysia, and
others) digital ‘Halal’ certified food services reviews should be made valuable for
Muslim travelers. These should be supported by governmental tourism promotion
and communication services. is an example of a US-based Halal
restaurant rating and review site.
4. Travel Services sector MFT product/service prioritization: Based on the analysis
of the study’s research findings, below are key product development prioritization
recommendations for ‘Travel Agents/Services’ sector:
MFT ‘Progressing’ and ‘NewMarkets’ OIC Countries
 Providing select ‘Muslim-travel’ themed packages: Survey respondents
indicated that they were strongly interested in themed trips such as heritage
experiences and adventure travel. Travel agencies serving the MFT market would
do well to focus on specific products and target market. The customer
segmentation profiles prioritized earlier serve as a good means to develop custom
offerings.
MFT ‘Mature Markets ’ OIC Countries
 Travel financing services: It is common practice for travel agencies and hotels in
Turkey to offer financing to domestic tourists. This eases the burden of middle
class families from having to pay a large amount at one time and thus encourages
more domestic travel. This is most applicable for domestic tourism and should be
considered by MFT ‘mature market’ country-based travel agencies in coordination
with domestic Islamic financial institutions.