In the news: A new hotel reference tool for Muslim travellers, 7-day booking calendar for HotelQuickly, Etihad and Adobe team up
New hospitality standard for hotels to make Muslim travellers feel at home
Salam Standard enables Muslim travellers to choose Muslim-friendly accommodation. (Image credit: Ardenvis/iStock)
A research by Thomson Reuters revealed that Muslim travellers are big spenders on tourism products to the tune of more than US$142 billion in 2014.
It is thus not surprising that hotels worldwide are adding facilities to cater to the specific need of these travellers.
To capitalise on this growing niche sector Malaysia based hotel meta-search website, Lagisatu, recently launched Salam Standard that it bills as “the world’s first online hotel reference tool dedicated to Muslim travellers”.
Salam Standard creator and Lagisatu Travel’s CEO and co-founder, Faeez Fadhlillah, said that with the spend by Muslim travellers expected to rise to more more than US$233 billion in 2020, accounting for for 25% of total global travel expenditure, “there is a need to provide this influential group of travellers with tourism products that make them feel at home.”
He said he came up with the standard based on the feedback of 50,000 Muslim travellers from around the world.
“Salam Standard provides Muslim travellers with a one-of-a-kind reference tool enabling them to choose Muslim-friendly accommodation, which adheres to their Islamic principles.”
The standard is divided into three categories – gold, silver and bronze that applies to specific standards of the hotels.
Bronze-standard hotels must have Muslim prayer mats available and Kibblat directions (signs pointing to Mecca) in the room or be made available; silver-rated properties must also provide a list of halal restaurants nearby and there must be no alcohol in guestroom mini bars; accommodation with gold status must also offer halal food certified by a recognised certification body.
According to Faeez, more than 10,000 properties worldwide have already joined the Salam Standard initiative including AccorHotels, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Rotana Hotels & Resorts, Anantara Hotels & Resorts, Rixos Hotels, Archipelago Hotel Group, Tauzia Hotel Management, and Berjaya Hotels & Resorts.
He added that “biggest information provider of Muslim travel content” over the next few years if more Muslim-focused travel products and services are added.
“Our aim is to encourage hotel operators to offer more facilities for Muslim travellers.”
HotelQuickly expands last-minute booking to seven days
Seven day booking window for HotelQuickly. (Image credit: HotelQuickly)
Hong Kong based last-minute booking app, HotelQuickly, has extended its 48-hour time frame to seven days.
The wider booking window is aimed at offering users greater freedom in their travels, and was also in response to customers requests, the company said in a statement.
“Since the start of HotelQuickly we’ve made it a point to listen closely to our customers’ needs and navigate in line with those,” said Tomas Laboutka, HotelQuickly co-founder and CEO.
“Many of our members love the discounts and ease-of-use the app offers, and they want to use HotelQuickly for more than same- and next-day bookings. The week-long calendar gives users more opportunities for spontaneous travel.”
Laboutka added the new seven-day calendar is just one in a series of features HotelQuickly is set to debut over the next few months.
“There are some exciting projects in the pipeline that are going to make booking with HotelQuickly more appealing than ever.”
The new seven-day booking calendar is now open for HotelQuickly’s users in all destinations. The app is free to download on Android and iPhone devices, and is available in nine languages.
The company, which was launched in March 2013, claimed that its app has been downloaded more than 1.5 million times from travellers looking for an easy solution to last-minute booking concerns.
Eithad Airways flies to the cloud with Adobe
Etihad Airways rolling out cloud solutions across its businesses. (Image credit: Etihad Airways)
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has teamed up with Adobe to roll out a range of cloud solutions across its businesses and partners.
The partnership is part of the aviation group’s vision to offer a superior digital service by deploying cloud-first initiatives for its businesses and its guests, said the airline in a statement.
It added that the airline group and its partners would use Adobe Marketing Cloud and Creative Cloud to “create a secure, cost effective and remarkable digital guest experience. Additionally, the technology will enhance the airlines’ digital marketing capabilities to provide tailored and personalised services across the globe.”
They will use Adobe’s capabilities across guest experience, global loyalty, cargo, direct sales, marketing, social media and other areas of their businesses.
Robert Webb, chief information and technology officer at Etihad Airways, said: “This technology will entirely revolutionise the digital experience for our guests, as well as the business as a whole. This investment in Adobe will allow us to enable a truly superior and seamless guest experience.”
Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ chief commercial officer, added: “Our digital transformation plans will also be deployed in the new Midfield Terminal at the airline’s hub at Abu Dhabi Airport. This will include improvements to digital signage and mobile tracking capabilities to enhance services for guests.”
