Malaysia named one of ‘preferred destinations’ of Muslim travellers

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BERLIN: Malaysia has been named, along with Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as one of the “preferred destinations” of Muslim travellers, according to a survey by DinarStandard.

The survey result conducted by DinarStandard, the leading survey institute for Muslim travel market, was presented during the International Tourism Bourse (ITB) here, the world’s largest travel and tourism show by its organiser Messe Berlin.

By the year 2020, growth in travel by Muslims is expected to touch 4.8 per cent, significantly higher than the global figure of only 3.8 per cent, according to the survey.

Indeed, Muslims will account for some 14 per cent of all international trips, according to the survey conducted by Reem El Shafaki, a senior associate of DinarStandard.

The travel packages for Malaysia and other destinations, offering halal food, cooking and prayer rooms, find approval with Muslim travellers, according to the survey.

The DinarStandard survey that examines the travel habits, polled close to 1,000 Muslims around the world with half of the respondents from Asia, 22 per cent from the Middle East and North Africa, and 15 per cent from the Americas.

Asked what was most important for them at their holiday destination, 67 per cent responded that halal food and cooking were the most important, while 53 per cent said the second most important factor was the overall price of the trip.

For close to 50 per ent, a Muslim-friendly atmosphere was among the most important holiday aspects.

Almost 53 per cent took a holiday with their family, 23 per cent with friends and around 19 per cent travelled with their spouses.

According to El Shafaki, tour operators who want to be part of this anticipated boom of the future must make sure certain conditions are fulfilled.

Halal food and cooking, as well as prayer rooms for worshipping, are indispensable.

She recommended the setting up of suitable washrooms for use before prayers and special services during the fasting month of Ramadan, such as breakfast before sunrise, as part of the travel package.

Last year, the EU Commission said that steps should be taken to attract greater numbers of Muslim holidaymakers to Europe. — Bernama