Singapore firm opens halal travel site

SINGAPORE - Agence France-Presse

A new website for Muslim travelers which includes a global directory of halal restaurants and dedicated city guides was launched yesterday in a bid to capitalize on the growing number of Islamic tourists. 

Specialist Singapore-based firm Crescentrating said the site, which is called HalalTrip.com, offers a wide range of features for tourists wishing to travel in accordance with the rules of Islam. “It is the world’s first fully-featured travel booking website for Muslim travellers,” Crescentrating chief executive Fazal Bahardeen told AFP, adding that the industry had been lacking a dedicated travel booking site catering to the needs of Islamic tourists. Spending by Muslim travelers is estimated to reach $200 billion by 2020, up from $126 billion in 2011, according to the company’s chief operating officer Dany Bolduc. 

Crescentrating bought HalalTrip.com from its Austrian owner in June and has re-launched it with many new features.