Abu Dhabi eyes Halal tourism

Abu Dhabi is poised to become a leading destination for Halal Tourism, a fast emerging concept in the tourism industry that offers a range of holiday packages adhering to Islamic beliefs and practices.
Abu Dhabi’s Tourism and Culture Authority, TCA Abu Dhabi, is roping in tour operators and hospitality groups to offer tailor-made packages to Halal tourists who do not wish to compromise their Islamic values while holidaying.
"We are working on a specific strategy for Halal tourism. It includes bringing together a range of products which would qualify as halal tourism but have never been collated to make a substantial offering," Mubarak Al Nuaimi, Director Promotions and Overseas Offices, TCA Abu Dhabi , told the XPRESS supplement of the Gulf News English daily.
Halal Tourism packages include hotel stays with halal food and non-alcoholic beverages, separate leisure facilities for men and women and visits to mosques and places of Islamic heritage.
"We can meet specific Muslim demands on a number of fronts and halal F&B is one of them. We also have a number of high and medium quality alcohol-free hotels and segmented sessions for women," added Nuaimi.
The Tourism Authority is already in talks with leading UK-based Halal tourism operator, Serendipity, to test the market.
"We can link Muslim countries from the East to the West via Abu Dhabi International Airport, and we hope that many will choose to break their journey in the emirate and eventually become convinced to stay longer," Nuaimi added.