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New hospitality tool targets Muslim tourist market
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Ortakoy Mosque and the Bosphorus Bridge are seen in Istanbul, Turkey. (Shutterstock/-)
H
olidaymakers seeking Muslim-friendly options now have a new tool to help with decision-making. A new hospitality reference called Salam Standard aims to assist travelers in finding information on Muslim-friendly services and facilities in popular destinations.
(Read also: More holidaymakers attracted to authentic local culture: Travel agents)
Launched just last year, the Malaysia-based hotel reference wants to tap into the Muslim travel market, which is estimated to be worth more than US$233 billion by 2020.
“The goal of Salam Standard is to assist Muslims in their travel choice and help them to a blessed journey, wherever they go. We want to highlight that the global hospitality industry comprises many different people with many different needs. At the same time we want to help hotels that offer Muslim facilities to promote them and increase their sales," Salam Standard founder Faeez Fadhillah told The Jakarta Post.
Fadhillah said the service listed over 25,000 hotels worldwide, adding that the list was fed to tripfez.com, its travel site.
Presently, users can access information on some of the listed hotels, including the price per night and location. However, travelers still need to wait for more information to become available, including the Salam Standard category of each hotel.
(Read also: Consider these tips to enjoy your trip to the fullest)
There are three categories in Salam Standard — bronze, silver and gold — based on Muslim-friendly amenities available at each hotel. Hotels with bronze standard provide a Muslim prayer mat and denote the qibla; those with silver standards also have a list of halal restaurants in the vicinity and do not have alcohol in rooms. The highest rank, gold standard hotels, are those with the facilities listed in bronze and silver as well as the availability of certified halal foods.
To promote its service, Salam Standard recently revealed the winners of its inaugural Muslim travel awards, which recognized global and Asian hotel groups, destinations, airports and events that excel in the Muslim-friendly travel arena.
The winners included Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Kansai International Airport and Changi Airport in the best airport category; Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Fairmont Raffles Hotels International (FRHI) and Indonesia’s Archipelago International in the best hotel group category; Dubai for best destination; and the 2015 World Halal Travel Summit & Exhibition (WHTS) in Abu Dhabi for best event. (kes)
