Halal Tourism Needs Increased Investment: Bosnian Expert
Halal tourism is a sort of tourism in which all coordination and measures are being made according to the Islamic Sharia
In a more general definition, one can define Halal tourism as a branch of religious tourism in which measures are organized in a way that would be suitable for Muslim families who respect Islamic laws
This type of tourism has seen growth in recent years as investors have spotted the opportunities of this industry and made investments to increase the quality of destinations for Muslims.
The destinations of halal tourism have some features. For instance, serving alcoholic drinks or pork is forbidden in them and they are equipped with suitable places for saying prayers.
According to studies, there has been significant growth in the number of Muslim tourists in recent years and some experts believe many countries around the globe will take steps to provide the needs of Muslim tourists.
To further discuss the issue, IQNA has reached out to Nihad Biganovic, sales manager of “Mersi Doo”, a travel agency in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Sarajevo.
The agency was opened back in 2008 and provides different services to foreign tourists such as making reservations and holding various tours, according to the manager.
Most of the incoming Muslim tourists to Bosnia are coming from Persian Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, and Oman, he said.
The agency does not focus on the religion of visitors, he said, adding that however, it puts utmost effort to fulfill the demands of Muslim tourists such as booking a hotel that does not serve alcoholic drinks.
People mostly see Bosnia as a Muslim country and believe that halal products can easily be found here but there are not too many tourists who seek halal hotels and restaurants, he said.
However, if tourists ask for a halal version, their demand will be met, Biganovic added.
“The most important barrier to tourism in the European country is lack of tourism infrastructure such as hotels in some regions,” he said.
Since tourists from Persian Gulf countries started visiting Bosnia, hotels gradually reduced serving alcoholic drinks and prepared the atmosphere in a way that Muslim women feel they are in an Islamic country, noted the expert.
He hoped that halal tourism will be developed in different Islamic countries such as Turkey and Indonesia.
Asked whether the government had offered any plan to boost halal tourism, Biganovic said that “There are no plans and projects at the governmental level and even the society does not have a good understanding of the issue but we can say that this idea has been increasingly put forward in the past couple of years.”
He says the industry needs more investment and infrastructure.
Responding to a question about the status of Bosnia’s tourism industry, he said the number of tourists is on the rise. “We feel that people from many countries are willing to travel to Bosnia. Bosnian people, regardless of their religion, welcome foreign tourists hospitably.”
There are different Islamic destinations in the country, including mosques in Sarajevo which date back to some 500 years ago, he noted.
“We feel that Muslim tourists do not just travel to Bosnia to see its Islamic monuments, rather, they make this trip to enjoy waterfalls, cool weather, and the nature of the country.”
He also said the Covid-19 pandemic hit their business in the past two years, similar to other tourism-related businesses, and hoped that the disease would be wiped out in the coming year.
