From Headlines to Hashtags: The Power of Media in Framing Halal & Sustainable Tourism

As Muslim travel continues to expand into one of the fastest-growing segments of the global tourism economy, a group of scholars, media leaders and industry analysts will gather on December 6 for a conversation that feels increasingly overdue: Who shapes the stories travelers trust? And what happens when those stories move not through newspapers or guidebooks, but through a cascade of headlines, hashtags and looping 20-second videos?

The HaSIM Forum, a platform focused on halal, sustainability and inclusive tourism, will host the virtual dialogue, bringing together voices from Australia, Europe, Indonesia and the global halal media community. Their aim is to examine how both traditional and digital media have come to influence the way halal and sustainable travel is explained, marketed and understood.

The discussion arrives at a moment of rapid change. Muslim travelers—once considered a niche market—now represent a global consumer base that is reshaping the choices destinations make, the policies governments craft and the investments tourism operators pursue. Sustainability, once a peripheral concern, has become central to how these travelers assess whether an experience aligns with their values. In this evolving landscape, the media has emerged as a force that can clarify or complicate, uplift or obscure.

The panel draws together a wide range of expertise. Irshad A. Cader, a halal industry consultant based in Australia, has spent years analyzing how Muslim consumer behavior is influenced by global narratives about halal standards and authenticity. Viana Hassan, who leads the European Tourism and Events Training Academy, has observed how sustainability frameworks are being translated—sometimes successfully, other times clumsily—into destination branding. And Hafiz Maqsood Ahmed, the Editor-in-Chief of The Halal Times, represents a growing wave of outlets that serve Muslim audiences across continents, attempting to sift credible information from the noise of social media.

Moderating the event will be Hera Oktadiana, a scholar of Muslim women in tourism and hospitality, and Muhammad Rahmad, who directs the Indonesian Tourism Studies Centre. Both bring a perspective shaped by years of studying how minority travelers navigate a world that still often misunderstands their needs.

If the webinar has one unifying question, it may be this: In a media environment defined by speed and amplification, can halal and sustainable tourism be explained with nuance? Or does the complexity get flattened into marketing slogans and aesthetic gestures?

For many destinations, the stakes are high. A single narrative—positive or negative—can influence perceptions across millions of potential travelers. A short video can propel a once-unknown location into global awareness, sometimes long before local infrastructure is prepared. Conversely, a misleading claim about halal compliance can erode trust with extraordinary speed.

The HaSIM Forum hopes the dialogue will do more than diagnose problems. Organizers say they want to encourage a new approach to storytelling—one that is grounded in Islamic values such as stewardship of the Earth, community well-being and ethical consumption, yet accessible to global audiences regardless of background.

The session is open to the public, and the organizers expect participation from policymakers, tour operators, academics and everyday travelers seeking clarity in a rapidly shifting information landscape. Registration is available online, and attendees will receive a certificate of participation.

In a travel world increasingly shaped by algorithms and attention spans, the webinar poses a quiet but urgent challenge: How do we ensure that the stories guiding Muslim travelers are not only compelling, but true?