‘Ahead of the curve’: how Thai tourism boosted its bottom line by courting Muslim visitors
Despite a decade of political turbulence, Thailand has enjoyed an explosion in tourist arrivals, from 13.8 million annual visitors in 2006 to a record 32.5 million last year
From hotels with segregated swimming pools to jelly made from seaweed instead of pig bones, Buddhist Thailand is chasing halal gold as it welcomes Muslim visitors and touts its wares to the Islamic world.
Inside the cavernous dining hall of the five-star Al Meroz hotel in a Muslim suburb of Bangkok, an elderly man with a wispy beard recites verses of the Koran as a nervous-looking groom awaits the arrival of his bride.
The young man bursts into a smile as his soon-to-be wife appears, clad in a brilliant white dress with matching headscarf.
Considering there are 1.5 billion Muslims around the world, I think this is a very good market
The ceremony is one of dozens of marriages held over the last few months at the Al Meroz – the city’s first entirely halal hotel.
Thailand has long been a draw for the world’s sunseekers and hedonists, drawn to its parties, red-light districts, cheap booze and tropical beaches. But it has also enjoyed a huge influx of visitors from Muslim countries, part of a quiet but deliberate strategy by the Southeast Asian nation to diversify its visitor profile.
“Considering there are 1.5 billion Muslims around the world, I think this is a very good market,” explains Sanya Saenboon, the general manager of the hotel, one of a growing number of businesses serving a boom in Islamic tourists.
The hotel opened its doors last year, setting itself apart with its attention to all things Islamic.
