Halal Tourism in Turkey

Halal tourism in Turkey is growing significantly, with Antalya's Mei Deluxe Hotel boasting spiral staircases, glass lifts and huge chandeliers, and the luxurious reception is a central courtyard with seating, shops and water fountains.

Halal Tourism in Turkey: High Specifications

Such hotels are a model for the new version of beach hotels that have been popular under the name of halal tourism in Turkey.

Halal tourism has become a commitment for the tourism sector in countries such as Turkey, where a large number of Muslim tourists flock.

The hotel's restaurant serves the best halal food, as well as desserts and salads.

The Mei Deluxe Hotel also has separate swimming pools, and it is equipped with women's prayer rooms and covered beaches.

Alcohol is excluded from recreational activities in this place, with more than half of the guests being European Muslims from France, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, including first-generation Muslim immigrants.

The Mei Deluxe Hotel spans 120,000 square kilometres on the shores of Antalya. Of the approximately 800 customers currently staying at the hotel, about 550 came from European countries, said the hotel's manager, Yusuf Gerceker.

Over the past year, the rate of bookings in this category at the hotel was 30%, while this percentage is about 60% this year.

Halal Tourism in Turkey: We are Tired of the Eyes Following our Movements

"We want to travel to a Muslim country because it's very important for us," said one hotel guest with the intention of halal tourism in Turkey, "we know that this type of hotel will respect our culture, and we will be able to swim and enjoy the company of our children without intolerance or prejudice..."

One of the guests, Farida, came to this place for the first time for a holiday in a 'halal environment'.

This woman considers her experience to be very satisfactory, especially in terms of costs, as the cost of a nine-day stay with her husband and two sons was only 750 euros, which is exceptional.

Tired of being classified as a minority in their country, these European citizens turned to Turkey, which, for them, is an Islamic holiday environment.

"Last year, they banned us in France from wearing a modest burkini, so we can't go to the beach after we were forced to wear swimwear," added Farida.

Taybeh, an English woman, said she does not feel comfortable in the UK because people look at her in a strange way just because she wears a hijab. She added that in Turkey (Muslim-majority), she feels that all people are understanding.

For Taybeh, the concept of a private beach is a sign of sophistication, and it gives the place a distinctive character of only five-star hotels.

Women wear decent swimwear, and smoking and alcohol are prohibited, making the place calm and relaxing.

Mohammed Hayat, from Crosby, UK, accompanied by 15 members of his family, said he bet on this tourist destination that you don't have to worry about anything, as women have some privacy.

Halal Tourism is growing in Turkey

If we study the economic feasibility of halal tourism in Turkey, there are currently about 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide; recording increased growth.

Some estimates suggest that by 2060, the number of Muslims in the world will increase by 70%, making them a quarter of its population.

In this situation, European travel agencies have seen the opportunity to provide special services to this group of tourists, and accordingly, they have entered a race for reductions in halal tourism.

Mohammed, the owner of a Paris travel agency, said the reason for these cuts and interest in halal tourism is the frequent demand for such tourism.

Mohammed added that in 2017, about 10% of the travel agency's customers went to halal destinations, and this year the percentage is expected to be between 30 and 40%.

Ufuk Sezgin, marketing manager for the sector's number one platform, Halal Bucking (HalalBooking.com), explained that the halal tourism option coincided with the emergence of a new social class of Muslims. It is a new generation with full awareness of the halal service option. This generation keeps pace with modernity, making online bookings and looking at various platforms for vacation destinations.

In this regard, Sezgin confirmed that about 35,000 users used halal booking over the past year.

This figure is expected to double this year and will likely double annually over the next five years.

Asia Jabbari, the director of the travel agency Atlas Menara in Madrid, added: "I have travelled to Turkey because I want to see this new model, which is very popular and is growing, namely halal tourism."

According to a study sponsored by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, Muslim travellers spent about $151 billion in 2015, 24 billion of which were for halal tourism destinations. Overall, these businesses feature exciting profits, which Turkey has exploited well.

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Edited by Safaraq Tourism

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