World Halal Travel Summit & Exhibition (WHTS15) opened in Abudhabi

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(Abudhabi- AlummahWorld-Muharram 18, 1436, October 31, 2015) The World Halal Travel Summit & Exhibition (WHTS15) was officially inaugurated by HE Jasem Mohammed Saeed Al Darmaki, acting director-general, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority.

According to the show organizer statement, the Summit will witness attendance from international specialists and policy-makers from major business and government organisations. Over 6,000 participants are expected, including travel and tourism professionals and agencies, hospitality groups and hoteliers, tour operators, developers, destinations and key industry decision makers.

Subsequently at the event, Halabooking.com will reveal the popularity of Muslim-friendly holidays, which is soaring faster than any other travel sector in the world. HalalBooking.com’s London HQ, has seen a tremendous rise in halal-conscious holiday bookings in 2015.

“Our sales tripled in the first three quarters of 2015 compared to last year. We have had sales in the millions per hotel aiming to hit tens of millions next year. In 2016, we are aiming to build on this success and expand our portfolio of properties extensively and to launch new destinations in Western Europe and Asia Pacific,” said Ufuk Secgin, chief marketing officer at HalalBooking.com.

Delegates from 52 countries have registered to attend the summit and are supported by numerous ministerial delegations. The summit also welcomed over 200 exhibitors and sponsors.

The event will showcase 200 exhibitors, 20 free to attend seminar sessions and looks to welcome around 6,000 visitors.

Andy Buchanan, founder of WHTS15 said: “With Halal tourism growing at six percent per annum, faster than any other travel sector, and with the global Halal travel market projected to be worth US$ 238 billion by 2019, the response from exhibitors and tourism professionals has been positive and extremely encouraging.”

The three-day summit will include a daily programme of free-to-attend seminars and panel discussions highlighting key issues facing Halal tourism, along with examples and development models that introduce international best practice from the field.

“Participating destinations include Malaysia, UAE, GCC, Turkey, Kenya, Iran, Sri Lanka, Croatia, Lebanon, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Canada and the USA, to just name a few,” added Buchanan.