In addition to Halal food and prayer facilities, two new faith-based needs have emerged to be of great importance to Muslim travelers. These needs are water and wudhu friendly washrooms and an environment with no Islamophobia.
Halal Food
Halal food is the most important service that a Muslim traveler looks for when traveling. Acceptability of the different levels of Halal food assurance varies among Muslim travelers.
Having food outlets with proper and easily identifiable Halal assurance is the preferred option sought by Muslims and is key to diminish scepticism.
Prayer Facilities
Prayer is one of the central elements of Islamic practice and worship and it is the second of the five pillars of Islam. While traveling, some will combine prayers and perform them three times a day.
Destinations should look at providing prayer rooms with qiblah directions marked and equipped with ablution (wudhu) friendly washrooms.
Water-Friendly Washrooms
For Muslims, water plays a key role in purity and cleanliness, both of which are core aspects of the faith. This entails the use of water in the toilets, and it is discomforting for Muslim travelers where the setup for water use is unavailable.
Providing such facilities has become less cumbersome now with the widespread availability of hand showers, bidets and Japanese-style toilets.
No Islamophobia
With Islamophobic sentiments lingering in some regions, Muslim travelers are deterred from visiting destinations that are perceived to be unwelcoming. Like any traveler, Muslims would want to have their safety and security guaranteed in the destination they are traveling to.
With increasing hate crimes seen around the world, safety has become a primary concern for Muslims travelers.
