How Some African Countries Are Adapting Tourist Industry To Attract More Muslim Tourists

With the global rise of Islamophobia and the continued feeling that the world is becoming more isolationist, it's a rare find to come across an article that is talking about Muslim populations with the view of attracting, accommodating their needs and viewing them as a business opportunity in terms of tourism. 

Of course it would be naive to assume that these changes are not driven by the increasing disposable income in middle class Muslim populations, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a move in the right direction. One that could foster mutual understanding based on cultural exchanges.

The writer does a great job of outlining the potential opportunities — the key areas that halal tourism could cover, the geographies that African Muslim tourists gravitate to and the types of activities that are generally offered or excluded by tourist companies looking to attract more Muslim visitors. He also does a great job of exploring some of the difficulties in defining and growing this sector. What does halal tourism really involve? It is open to definition and has a whole spectrum of views. In his words, "What constitutes 'halal' is subjective; there are no unified, global halal standards. Without established guidelines and proof of strict compliance, orthodox travelers could be put off."

As a non-Muslim, living in a majority Muslim country — Senegal — it has been interesting to see the role that religion and other factors such as language play even when it comes to how we explore the world. My Senegalese friends are more likely to have visited Morocco or France, in the same way my Kenyan friends are more likely to have visited Nigeria or the UK. 

The article explores such intersections and gives an idea of what the future of halal tourism could look like.