Published on : Tuesday, March 12, 2019
However, an increasing number of hotels in and around Antalya are moving away from the traditional resort fare of booze and bare flesh for attracting a new and growing clientele of Muslim tourists.
Halal travel, catering to Muslim requirements, is currently experiencing a boom. Worth $177bn (£136bn) in 2017, the market is expected to reach $274bn by 2023. Driven by a rapidly expanding global population and a burgeoning middle class, overall Muslim lifestyle spending – including food, fashion, cosmetics, media and recreation, was worth an estimated $2.1tn in 2017.
Muslim spending power is now stronger than ever, and thus, hoteliers on the Turquoise Coast are quick to respond. Some have converted existing hotels to be halal-friendly; while other purpose-built resorts are coming up. Their restaurants serve halal food. The premises are alcohol-free. They provide prayer rooms and mosques, broadcasting the call to prayer over public address systems.
Most resorts have screened-off women-only pools and beach areas, where women can sunbathe in bikinis without fear of being seen by men. Boys over the age of five or six are banned, along with cameras and mobile phones. Spas and gyms have separate time slots for men and women. Organized entertainment is “family-friendly”.
Increasingly, countries with small Muslim populations are considering the potential of the halal travel market. Two hotels on the Costa del Sol in Spain serve only halal food and are alcohol-free. Many small hotels in London and other European cities have similar policies.
Tags: Halal tourism