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01-08-12

Muslim tourists set to contribute big to global tourism industry

(MENAFN) A recent study conducted by Muslim-specialists Crescentrating and DinarStandard predicted the global tourism industry to witness a boom in the number of Muslim tourists over the next few years, Arabian Business reported. Islamic-friendly spas, halal restaurants and prayer rooms at airport terminals are increasing, driven by rapidly rising populations and strong oil prices, particularly in the Middle East, the research noted. The study also forecasted global revenue from Muslim tourists to grow by 4.8 percent annually over the next eight years from an estimated USD126 billion last year. Some 18 percent of the world's 1.6 billion Muslims live in the Arab world while those in the Middle East have around USD4 trillion worth of capital, estimated Hedge Fund Research. Excluding religious travel during Hajj and Umrah, the study found that 60 percent of total global Muslim outbound expenditures came from the Middle East and North Africa regions, led by Saudi Arabia. Halal food, family friendly environments and gender relation nuances were some of the most important aspects when choosing where to go on holiday for Muslim travelers, according to the study's poll. Nearly 70 percent of those surveyed listed halal food as their top priority, followed by overall price (53 percent) and Muslim-friendly experience (49 percent).

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