Insights from Sadia Ramzan, founder and CEO of the Muslim Women Travel Group
Ask most travel providers what “halal-friendly” means and you will likely hear one answer: halal food. According to Sadia Ramzan, founder and CEO of the Muslim Women Travel Group, that narrow view is the biggest misunderstanding holding the industry back.
More Than a Menu
Ramzan, whose group focuses on safe group travel for women, argues that halal-friendly travel is about the whole experience. Food matters, but so do the design and accessibility of spaces, the way travelers are treated, and whether women feel welcomed, respected, and comfortable from arrival to departure.
Her goal in reframing the concept is to move the industry away from thinking about products and toward thinking about consumers. The shift applies especially to Muslim women, but also to women travelers more broadly.
Start by Listening
How can providers get it right? Ramzan’s answer is simple: talk to the people you want to serve. She recommends speaking directly with Muslim travelers, women travelers, and people who work in travel and bring real lived experience.
Assumptions, she suggests, are a poor substitute for those conversations. There is also a multiplier effect. Women tend to share their insights widely within their families and communities, so one conversation can reveal the needs of many.
She acknowledges that plenty of training on the subject already exists. But training alone doesn’t replace honest dialogue, which is still essential for correcting misunderstandings and shaping better services.
A Changing Market
Ramzan also outlined several trends reshaping travel:
- More women are building their own travel businesses. Increasingly, women want to sell and manage travel themselves.
- Older women are hitting the road. The number of women over 50 traveling is growing.
- Muslim women are traveling sooner. With more disposable income, they are less willing to put trips off and want to see the world on their own terms.
Deeper, More Local Journeys
Destination preferences are shifting too. Travelers are looking beyond the typical tourist hotspots and moving away from resort-only stays. They want to stay locally, meet residents, and give back to the communities they visit. Interest in more remote destinations is also rising, reflecting a hunger for authenticity over standard package tourism.
What Providers Should Do
Ramzan’s practical advice for travel businesses and destinations comes down to three steps:
- Consult directly with Muslim women and women travelers.
- Design spaces and services that foster comfort and inclusion.
- Support experiences that connect visitors with local communities.
Travelers, Not Just Tourists
Underlying all of this is a broader message: people increasingly want to be treated as travelers, not just tourists. That means offerings built on dignity, authenticity, and personal choice.
Ramzan’s talk traces a clear path, from correcting misconceptions about halal-friendly travel, to listening to consumers, to understanding shifting trends, to adapting destinations and services in response. Done well, inclusive travel design not only serves Muslim women better but also opens the door to more meaningful, community-connected tourism for everyone.
Watch the full interview here