Move to Muslim-friendly tourism
For a while now we have been talking about the opportunity Muslim-friendly tourism represents for Cape Town and South Africa – after all, by 2020 about 26% of the world’s population will be Muslim and, given the growth of the Muslim middle class and younger population with increased disposable income, Muslim travellers are becoming a significant segment within the global travel and tourism sector.
Although there’s great potential here, we realised on investigation that more background work needed to be laid.
You see, despite Cape Town’s large Muslim population, there’s a gulf in awareness when it comes to tailored products for this market segment, particularly when it comes to hotels and restaurants.
With that in mind, Cape Town Tourism has been seeking ways to develop awareness around Muslim travellers’ needs.
In a survey published in the Muslim Travel Shopping Index 2015, more than 80% of the respondents mentioned that the availability of halaal food options is “very important” when choosing a holiday destination. This information has prompted the creation of a chef exchange programme, which kicked off with a function showcasing gourmet halaal cuisine.
Cape Town Tourism, in partnership with CrescentRating, brought two five-star chefs from Singapore to train Cape Town chefs. Both chefs are active in training and educating chefs on halaal gourmet cuisine.
This is aimed at providing practical tips and insights into what the Muslim traveller wants, so that restaurants and hotels can provide more personalised offerings and attract more business.
A recent study found that halaal tourism is now one of the fastest-growing sectors of the global travel industry, with visitor spending predicted to reach $220 billion (more than R3trillion) by 2020.
Source: iol.co.za