Islam Channel presenter, Kathryn Irrgang caught up with Ufuk Seçgin, Chief Marketing Officer of HalalBooking in Türkiye’s leading Mediterranean resort of Alanya and asked him about this growing trend.
Tell us why is halal tourism so popular in this district of Alanya?
“It started off about 10, 15 years ago with the first hotel opening. Alanya has always been a very popular tourist destination for general beach tourism. The infrastructure is fantastic: it has got two international airports, with a lot of direct flights from Europe. It’s about 3 or 4 hours’ flight from many European destinations but also from the Gulf region. It’s very popular also because of the weather, the sea, the beaches. So when the first few halal-friendly beach hotels opened up, they became an instant success domestically.
As HalalBooking, we then internationalised it, publicised it with halal-conscious Muslim travellers, especially in the UK and other European countries and it has been a fantastic success ever since.”
Is there something particular that tourists are searching for, when they have the app or if they just want to find a beach that’s halal-friendly. Is the number 1 search ‘no alcohol’ or is it that privacy which a hotel like this offers?
“We have a number of halal filters on our website, so we can see where the demand is. It depends really on the reason for your holiday. Obviously for a beach holiday no alcohol and halal food are important factors but people are actually looking more for ladies-only facilities such as beaches, pools and spas. Especially, since sisters are making the decision in terms of where they want to spend their holiday and have a great say in influencing the family decision.”
So, us women, we have a big say in where we go on holiday?
“We hear that a lot from our customers. It still happens a lot that women tell their husbands where they want to go and they make the final booking, they make the arrangements. And our customers say: ‘if my wife is happy, I’m happy’. Sisters have a hard life as well, they usually work and look after the kids and the family arrangements.
Do you find that it’s popular for families to come with children?
These hotels offer everything for all age groups, from babies, to small children to teenagers right up to pensioners. They have kids’ clubs, they have animation teams offering entertainment and activities for children but also for people of our age – sports activities like playing beach volleyball or water polo or doing archery. In the kids’ clubs they arrange activities for children, so parents can leave their children there for a couple of hours and enjoy themselves and know that the children are very well looked after.”
Look out for Islam Channel’s forthcoming episode of the popular travel show ‘Travel with Me’ featuring Kathryn’s trip to Alanya to find out more about the rich history, beautiful beaches, mountain scenery and delicious cuisine that this incredible region has to offer. You’ll also get a sneak peek inside the women’s sections of the halal-friendly resort hotels, Adin Beach Hotel and Adenya Hotel & Resort.
To book halal holidays in Alanya visit HalalBooking.com and use HalalBooking’s unique halal filters to find your ideal holiday with halal food, alcohol-free areas and secluded leisure facilities for ladies and families, such as ladies-only beaches, pools and spas, as well as mixed beaches and pools where modest swimwear is worn.
