One of the fastest-growing areas of the global tourism market is Muslims Friendly Tourism (FMT). According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s 2020 International Tourism Results, the global average of Muslim tourists in 2019 is 200.3 million, compared to 1.46 billion international passengers (UNWTO). This accounts for roughly 13.7 percent of all overseas travellers, which is a significant proportion.

In 2019, Malaysia alone received USD5.33 million in Muslim visitors, generating USD16.72 billion in income. It’s not surprising, given that Malaysia has long been a frontrunner in the Halal market. It was one of the first countries to recognise the potential of Muslim tourism and to respond fast by improving and upgrading the facilities and services available to Muslim tourists in order to conform to their religious beliefs.

Almost all of the country’s major hotels, restaurants, and shopping malls now provide the facilities and amenities that Muslim travellers require. The vast majority of hotels provide prayer amenities, such as specific prayer rooms, prayer mats and timetables, and Qiblah signs noted in rooms. To offer a hassle-free shopping experience for Muslim shoppers, most shopping malls include Halal restaurants as well as prayer rooms. Halal food is widely available throughout the country, and a growing number of eateries have received Halal certification.

But this wasn’t always the case globally. Given that Muslim travellers are venturing further into European and Asian destinations such as France, Italy, South Korea and Japan, Halal food, mosque location, Qiblah sign or prayer facilities are not easily accessible. A technological tool or search engine is needed to find and locate all these, and travellers then rely on their smartphones more than ever. An app is not only a source of inspiration, but it is also highly handy for grocery shopping of Halal products at a local mall, searching for a delectable Halal restaurant, or locating the nearest mosque wherever you are travelling to, next.

Verify Halal™ app for example, is a global Halal Search Engine. The App is designed to empower consumers and retailers with the ability to instantly verify the Halal accreditation of the product by either scanning or searching for product, brand, company, or country of their choice. Listed products are from accredited certification bodies. It also includes a mosque finder, neighbouring restaurants, hotels, and abattoirs within a 20-kilometer radius, all of which are linked to Waze or Google Maps, as well as a blog section with Halal industry news, including Muslim Friendly Tourism. It could be one of the many Apps useful for travelling.

There are plenty of apps to help with everything from day-of hotel bookings and last-minute flight changes, as well as those that serve as guidebooks for restaurants reservation that fit in your hand. But for Muslim travellers, they would need an Apps that does more than just make it easy for them to locate meals, prayer locations, and alcohol-free activities. It’s also to encourage folks who want to explore the world to step outside of their comfort zones.

As the world recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, more countries are becoming accessible for travel; now is the time to begin packing. To help you navigate your Halal Tourism, download the Verify Halal app today. 

iOS : https://bit.ly/VerifyHalaliOS

Android : https://bit.ly/VerifyHalalAndroid