Muslim Friendly Tourism:
Regulating Accommodation Establishments
In the OIC Member Countries
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the United Arab Emirates (UAE). All interviewees worked in the management of the
tourism ministries of their countries with the exception of Mali’s interviewee who
worked for in the management of a national regulatory body.
 Accommodation Sector Survey: The survey was conducted in 2016 from September
9th to November 25th to identify current and planned MFT regulations in the
accommodation sector as well as the challenges accommodation establishments face
due to inconsistencies in MFT regulations as well as the difficulties encountered, if
any, in setting and implementing MFT regulations. The survey responses were
collected both online and through phone interviews with 163 respondents working
for MFT accommodation establishments in 30 different countries; 33% of the
respondents were from GCC countries, 25% from Asia, 24% Europe and North
America, 15% from the MENA region (non GCC), and 2% from Africa. The sample
consisted of;
o 47% junior or mid management, 40% senior management and the rest were
either owners or board members of accommodation establishments.
o 73% of respondents categorized their establishments as hotels, 13% as resorts,
10% aparthotels, 9% bed and breakfast, and 5%motels.
o 44% of the accommodation establishments surveyed had less than 50 rooms,
42% had from 50 to 99 rooms and only 14% had a hundred rooms or more.
o 33% of the accommodation establishments surveyed had an income of less than
$1 million, 30% had an income from $1to less than $10 million, and the rest
reported an income of more than $10 million.
o 58% of the accommodation establishments surveyed had cited Muslims
consisting more than 50% of their total guests while 32% reported they were less
than 50% of their total guests and 10% were not able to provide an estimate.
 Case Studies: Two OIC countries and one non-OIC country were selected to provide
insights into MFT regulations for accommodation establishments. The countries
covered were Malaysia, Turkey, and Croatia. Both field visits and in-depth interviews
with accommodation sector representatives and policy makers were used to collect
data and details about the various aspects of regulations including facilities, services,
and physical infrastructure in the case study countries.
 Secondary Research: A number of secondary sources were used including;
o Previous Market Studies: Market research on Muslim tourism and MFT
regulations including COMCEC’s “Muslim Friendly Tourism: Developing and
Marketing MFT Products and Services in the OIC Member Countries” 2016, State
of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2016/2017, and Muslim-friendly Beach
Resorts: Opportunities and Trends 2016.
o Trade and Sector Reports: Information was gathered from the reports published
by the International Hotel & Restaurant Association and Quo Global.
o Academic Articles and Research Papers: Information was gathered from the
Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly,
International Journal of Tourism Research, and Tourism Management.