Europe to host first-ever international conference on Halal tourism

ANDALUSIA– Europe is hosting the first-ever international conference on halal tourism to look at how the industry can capitalise on one of the fastest growing sectors in the world.

The Halal Tourism Conference, which is being held on 22 and 23 September 2014, will bring together the global travel industry to discuss ways of tapping into this niche market.

The event, which is being hosted in Andalucia, Spain, aims to equip delegates with market intelligence, industry forecasts and trends to understand how to market to the lucrative Muslim consumer and benefit commercially.

According to the latest figures, the halal tourism sector was worth $140 billion in 2013 representing around 13% of global travel expenditures. This figure is expected to reach $192 billion by 2020.

Organiser Tasneem Mahmood, from CMM, said the conference hopes to have attendance and representation from every region of the world and presents great opportunities for countries like UAE.

She said: “This is a groundbreaking event for halal tourism which is directly reacting to current market trends and addressing the needs of the industry. It is the first time such a global event is being staged looking at halal tourism in detail. For a country like UAE, with a deep Islamic heritage and so much to offer, it presents a real opportunity to attract visitors. 

“Every country and business needs to look at Halal tourism because it is growing so rapidly and the Muslim consumer is increasing spend on leisure holidays. 

“Our research has shown there are so many countries and travel operators who can benefit from halal tourism but are currently missing out.  Within Europe alone, there so many Muslim travellers for UAE to target. This conference will show the opportunities that are present and show you exactly how to grab them.

“It will be an excellent knowledge forum and an ideal platform for exchange of experience between experts in the industry and countries who are actively engaged in halal tourism.

“This conference will also be a great way to network with leisure and travel businesses from around the world to develop new partnerships.”

The two day event hopes to attract tourism boards, tour agencies, tour operators, restaurants, media, hotels, airlines and suppliers to the travel sector. The event will also feature seminars from industry experts, workshops, networking sessions and an exhibition.

A series of workshops will provide with information on what the industry needs to prepare to make the destination attractive to the Muslim market by understanding its needs and expectations.

Guest speakers at the event include tourism ministers, halal institutions, marketing experts and academics. Partners for the event include Andalucian Tourism Board, The Spanish Tourism Board, Turkish Airlines, Granada Tourism Board, El Legado Andalusi and the Halal Institute. 

The Halal Tourism Conference 2014, hosted in partnership with tour operator Andalucian Routes, will take place from the 22nd to 23^rd September 2014 at the Granada Conference and Exhibition Centre, Andalucia, Spain.

It will be followed by a two day tour of the region of Andalucia to provide businesses with a live case study of a region that is becoming more Muslim friendly and is actively working to meet the needs of Muslim travellers.