THE world’s first international conference on Muslim tourism will be held this September in Spain, bringing together the global travel industry to share how it can cater to this fast-growing segment.
Hosted in Andalucia by CM Media in partnership with tour operator Andalucian Routes, the two-day Halal Tourism Conference 2014 will run from September 22 to 23 at the Granada Conference and Exhibition Centre.
It aims to equip delegates with market intelligence, industry forecasts and trends to understand how to sell to the Muslim market, which is worth US$140 billion in 2013 or 13 per cent of global travel expenditure. This figure is expected to reach US$192 billion by 2020.
Attendees can expect seminars by industry experts, workshops, networking sessions and an exhibition, which aims to attract tourism boards, tour agencies, tour operators, restaurants, media, hotels, airlines and travel sector suppliers.
Guest speakers at the event include tourism ministers, halal institutions, marketing experts and academics. Partners for the event include Andalucian Tourism Board, the Spanish Tourism Board, Turkish Airlines, Granada Tourism Board, El Legado Andalusi and the Halal Institute.
The conference concludes with a two-day tour around Andalucia for a live case study of a region that is striving to be more Muslim-friendly.
Tasneem Mahmood from CM Media, said the conference presented “a real opportunity” for Asian countries.
She said: “Our research has shown there are so many countries and travel operators who can benefit from halal tourism but are currently missing out. Within Europe alone, there are so many Muslim travellers for Asia to target. This conference will show the opportunities that are present and show you exactly how to grab them.
“It will be an excellent knowledge forum and an ideal platform for exchange of experience between experts in the industry and countries who are actively engaged in halal tourism. This conference will also be a great way to network with leisure and travel businesses from around the world to develop new partnerships.”
For more information visit the website www.htc2014.
