South African Muslim Tourism Gets A Boost

World-renowned property management company Trafalgar has partnered with local business, Tayyib Travel, to launch its first guided travel itinerary specially tailored to the needs and interests of South African Muslim travelers.

The first trip will depart after Ramadan on June 19, 2019, for a two-week tour of Turkey. The package includes 13 nights hotel accommodation, breakfasts daily, 11 dinners, 2 lunches (including a signature Trafalgar Be My Guest experience at the Taurus Mountain Muslim Village), travel by luxury air-conditioned coach, an expert Travel Director, all hotel service charges and tips, must-see sights with VIP entry, unique insider experiences and airport transfers. Additional visits to Istanbul, Bursa, Kusadasi, Pamukkale, Antalya, Konya, Cappadocia, Ankara, and other key attractions are also included in the deal.

“As the world leader in guided travel specializing in personalized, immersive experiences, we are incredibly excited to launch the very first Trafalgar trip for the Muslim community,” says Teresa Richardson, managing director of The Travel Corporation in South Africa.

Considering the large Muslim communities in South Africa, Richardson is delighted to be among the country’s first to offer specialist tours meeting the interests of faith-based travelers. “This specialist itinerary will give Muslim travelers the opportunity to delve deeper into Turkey’s authentic Ottoman culture and discover the Islamic heritage of this wonderfully diverse and interesting country.”

Elated to announce this strategic new partnership with Trafalgar, Tayyib Travel owner, Ruderman Arendse had this to say: “With a glorious legacy of travel, divine injunction to get to know different lands and peoples; and incomparably diverse and rich cultural and heritage landscapes that span the globe, Muslim travelers have become a major segment of global travel.” The tours are a dream come true for Muslim travelers, whose needs – such as access to Halal food and prayer facilities – have long been ignored by tourism operators until in recent years.

Halal tourism has been growing in leaps and bounds over the past years

Catering to the needs of the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims who are looking for tailored products and services that match their social conventions, the Halal tourism has been growing in leaps and bounds in recent years, with an estimated US$177-billion spend in 2017 alone. Furthermore, the industry is forecast to grow to US$274- billion by 2023, according to the State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2018/19.

With Spain and Italy listed among the best Muslim-friendly city breaks in Europe, South African Muslim travelers will be thrilled to know that guided tours to the two countries specifically are currently in the pipeline with departures planned for 2019.

Originally published on www.nowinsa.co.za