Muslim Friendly Tourism:
Developing and Marketing MFT Products and Services
In the OIC Member Countries
14
travel journey, is also covered to help develop an understanding of this growing market
segment.
Objective
The objective of this Study is to enable all Muslim Friendly Tourism (MFT) stakeholders to:
 Analyze the current products/services and marketing landscape of the MFT sector on
a global level and in the OIC Member Countries;
 Identify the challenges facing the development and marketing of MFT products and
services;
 Present MFT success stories that provide examples of effective product/service
development and marketing strategies
 Provide policy recommendations for effective MFT product/service development and
marketing for OIC Member Countries.
Methodology
The study combines primary and secondary research tools and sources to fulfill its objectives:
 Primary Research: A number of tools/strategies were used including;
o Global Survey: A global Muslim Traveler Survey was conducted in 2016 from
March 6th to April 20th to discover the needs of the Muslim traveler. The survey
received a total of 1120 responses from 13 countries; Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar
and Kuwait, Egypt, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, India, Turkey, United
Kingdom, United States, Canada, Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya.
o In-depth Interviews: 25 in-depth interviews were conducted face to face and by
telephone with MFT market stakeholders to provide insights into the MFT market
in general and to provide information on specific government policies and
marketing strategies for MFT products and services. Interviewee names are listed
in the appendix (Section 9.1).
o Case Studies: Eight country case studies were selected to provide insights into
MFT products and services development and marketing strategies. The countries
covered were Egypt, Bosnia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Spain, Thailand, and
Turkey. Both field visits and in-depth interviews were used to collect data in the
case studies of Malaysia, Spain, Thailand, and Turkey. While in-depth interviews
were used to complement secondary data in the case studies of Egypt, Bosnia,
Indonesia, and Japan.
 Secondary Research: A number of secondary sources were used including;
o Previous Market Studies: Market research on Muslim tourism including
COMCEC’s “Muslim-friendly Tourism: Understanding the Demand and Supply
Sides in the OIC Member Countries” 2016, State of the Global Islamic Economy
Report 2015/2016, Muslim-friendly Beach Resorts: Opportunities and Trends
2016, and SESRIC’s International Tourism in the OIC Countries 2015.