The UAE ranked first in the global assessment of travel destinations with the “best developed halal ecosystems”, according to a new report.
The “2016-2017 Global Islamic Economy Report”, developed and produced by Thomson Reuters, said the country is followed by Malaysia and Turkey in the global ranking system.
The report evaluated the countries based on four criteria: inbound Muslim travel, the quality of their Halal-friendly ecosystems, awareness campaigns, and the sector’s contribution to employment.
International Halal Accreditation Forum (IHAF) secretary general Mohammed Saleh Badri said: “The study has also proven that more and more Muslims are showing strong preference for Halal destinations and travel services. Today, it is becoming more important for us to look into the industry and bridge the emerging gaps.”
Valued at US $151 billion (AED554.17bn) in 2015, the halal travel market is steadily expanding, marking a year-on-year growth of 4.9% - is higher than overall travel industry growth of 3%.
The halal market, 72% of which originated from Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries, is the second largest travel market next only to China ($168 billion) and ahead of the United States ($147 billion).
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“This upward trend presents good business opportunities for the industry. However, stakeholders should start addressing challenges to make the most of the momentum and boost tourism activities,” Badri said.
The key challenges affecting the industry are mainly rooted in relatively weak awareness campaigns, the report said.
“Muslim travellers and halal consumers are constantly looking for halal-certified leisure destinations they can trust. Unified standards should be in place in order to satisfy the needs of holidaymakers requiring halal products and services,” Badri said.
The UAE-based IHAF, he said, is working to improve the present Halal-friendly ecosystem around the world and the UAE will serve as a springboard to implement this.
During the first eight months its operation, the IHAF inducted 20 members, including the official accreditation agencies of Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
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