The Next Disruption: Young Muslim Travellers Who Won't Settle

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Oct 17, 2019, 16:30 ET

SINGAPORE and KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Oct. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- TBWA\Asia released new research at ITB Asia, Asia's leading travel summit held in Singapore this week, which explores the next disruption in travel: the young independent, tech savvy Muslim traveller, who won't settle. They're young, they're Muslim, they have a passport, a dream and high expectations.

Said Nazirah Ashari, director of strategy, TBWA\Kuala Lumpur: "Halal travel is real. It's much more than hotels labelling breakfast menus. If countries, and companies, are serious about attracting the attention of this increasingly influential audience, there must be a conscious effort to understand what is important to this group of travellers; what motivates their decisions to choose one destination over the next."

TBWA\Asia commissioned Singapore based research house Intuit Research on the discovery study confirming Muslim travelers do not want to compromise their faith-based needs while travelling, but also don't want their values to hinder their travel experience. They want to integrate and appreciate their surroundings, not be segregated due to their beliefs.

Muslim travellers have become one of the fastest growing segments, who make up around 10% of the global travel category but remain relatively under-served, even though they're packing a serious punch in the travel economy with their wallets.

The study, which interviewed almost 1000 Muslims aged between 18 and 30 across Malaysia, Indonesia and the United Kingdom, found there is an increasing number of young Muslim travellers, travelling independently, with Malaysia and Indonesia travellers looking to travel to approximately four countries in the next 18 months. What's also striking is the number of young independent female Muslim travellers looking to travel, with 89% considering taking an all-girls trip in the next 18 months.

Said Nazirah Ashari: "Sisters on tour is definitely an area of interest. We've found 1 in 3 females interviewed have already travelled for leisure with their girlfriends, despite the various barriers, with a high percentage planning a trip over the next 18 months.

"Despite perception of the world's most populated Muslim markets, the majority of female travellers are hailing from Malaysia and Indonesia, with 46% and 38% of females having already travelled with their girlfriends from these respective markets."

These young Muslim travellers have stopped waiting for countries and companies to adapt to their needs and are now taking things into their own hands – developing efficient communities and social ecosystems for recommending great halal travel destinations and services, and simply cutting out those that don't meet their expectations.

Download our 10 Points for the Modern Muslim Traveller here

About TBWA\Worldwide

TBWA is The Disruption® Company: the cultural engine for 21st century business. Named one of the World's Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company and Adweek's 2018 Global Agency of the Year, we create disruptive ideas that locate and involve brands in culture, giving them a larger share of the future. Our collective has 11,300 creative minds across 275 offices in 95 countries and also includes brands such as Auditoire, Digital Arts Network (DAN), eg+ worldwide, GMR, The Integer Group®, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, TBWA\WorldHealth and TRO. Global clients include adidas, Apple, Gatorade, Henkel, Hilton Hotels, McDonald's, Michelin, Nissan and Singapore Airlines.

About Omnicom Group Inc.

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SOURCE TBWA\Worldwide