In considering developments in the tourism industry especially in the past 20 years, including the diversity of tourism services and special interest tourism, we find that tourists are looking for new destinations and using new services aligned with their religious beliefs and values. Halal tourism is one such example; and health, physical fitness and mental health are some of its central concerns—tangible effects enriching the soul and spirit as well as comfort of travelers

Halal tourism is also worthy of attention because a substantial part of tourism markets and destinations is located in the Islamic world. Moreover, 11% of international tourists are Muslims, which has led non-Muslim countries to offer Halal tourism services in order to better position themselves to gain a share of the $200 billion market of Muslim tourists

Technical standards relevant for Halal tourism recognized by the European Union, the African Union and more than 32 countries throughout the world cover a wide range of areas: accommodations: restaurants; transportation including air, ground, rail, and sea; travel services; cosmetics; foods and drink; lifestyle; marketing and advertising; banking and financing; art and culture; business; insurance; education; stores; hospitals and dentistry; medicine; clothing and textiles; hairdressers and beauty shops; slaughterhouses; recreation sites; handicrafts

Each aspect of the tourism industry can license its accredited and/or tested products and services and so contribute to interaction among people from different countries as well as from different religious, social and cultural backgrounds

The study of Halal tourism represents an exciting a new field for understanding and meeting modern human needs

About the author

Dr. Mohammad Sharif Malekzadeh is the founder of the International Institute for Research and Development of Special Interest Tourism, Iran