Umm Muhammed Umar  – 27/07/17

Changing viewpoints since 9/11, and US President Donald Trump’s travel ban have alienated Muslim tourists from traditionally popular destinations such as the United States. Reports say other countries, as a result, stand to benefit from this new found niche of growing Muslim tourism. South Africa is one of them.

Johannesburg-based specialised halaal tour operator, Islamic Travels and Tours, is indicative of the potential this development presents. Owner, Khalid Vawda says in the two years he has been operating his business, he has seen constant growth.

He adds there are queries from Muslim tourists arriving daily. Vawda says, “For halaal tourism in South Africa we are just about scratching the surface.”

He says previously the international Muslim market was chiefly centred on religious travel, Makkah and Medina in Saudi Arabia, for pilgrimage.

According to Vawda, the new generation of Muslim tourists, are professional and have huge disposable income. They have and grown up in the West, and want to experience, in addition to pilgrimage, Muslim-friendly holidays all over the world. The 2017 Global Muslim Travel Index by MasterCard and CrescentRating, shows that the millennial traveller is the fastest-growing segment of this market.

Last year there was an estimated 121-million Muslim international travellers. According to BusinessLIVE, the figure is anticipated to grow to 156-million by 2020, with Muslim tourists spending a booming $220-billion. Muslim travel expenditure is expected to jump to a further $300-billion by 2026.

Topping the index is Malaysia, the leading Muslim-friendly tourist destination among the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation countries. The Muslim population of Malaysia stands at 60 percent. Next favourites are the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia. South Africa ranks fourth amongst non-OIC countries.

Vawda says Malaysia offers a bit of both East and West, which is according to him, what the younger traveller looks for, and what is available in South Africa.

The packages offered by Islamic Travels and Tours include shark-cage diving, Cape-to-Kruger honeymoons, as well as dinners hosted by local Muslim families.

Vawda advises that the domestic tourism sector focus on improvement and target the halaal tourism market aggressively, or it will lose out to competitors such as Singapore, Thailand, Japan and Kenya.

Kenya is already in the process of establishing a national certification programme so as to get more of its tourism businesses compliant with Islamic standards. South Africa does not have a certification programme for accommodation. However, the South African National Halaal Authority and its sister, regulatory organisations want to address this issue. South Africa offers a strong, reliable Islamic infrastructure that has a heritage of over 300 years in the country. SANHA spokesperson Ebie Lockhart says there is a huge number of organisations, mosques, education, social welfare, medical and financial institutions in the Republic.

Cape Town tour operator Rushdi Harper, meanwhile, says South Africa could boost its Muslim-friendly status if it upgrades its facilities and services. Harper says, “One simple example is that Muslims face a certain way when praying, towards Qibla in Makkah, an arrow pointing towards this direction could be installed against the ceiling in each room, should prayer facilities not be available.” Cape Town Tourism is working with Crescent Rating to rate Muslim-friendly establishments in the city. Cape Town Tourism CEO, Enver Duminy says, they are planning more education and awareness training focusing on the restaurant and hotel industry as this is one of the key areas catering to the faith-based needs of Muslim travellers.”