By Umma

Muslim women travellers are reshaping the way the travel industry engages with their needs. Recent years have seen a surge in the number of independent travel companies founded by Muslim women committed to making travel more Muslim women-friendly and accessible globally. These travel companies go to great lengths to ensure the destinations travelled to are safe for women, and there’s no compromise to either their religious practices or comforts. They also, take away hours spent on planning a vacation as the itinerary is provided.

We feature here five Muslim women founded travel companies that are unlocking the barriers in travelling. These travel entrepreneurs are seeing to the growing influence and market potential Muslim women present in the global travel landscape.

Muslim women’s travel group (MWTG)

In 2015 Sadia Ramzan formed a Facebook group to create a space for women only to share their travel experiences and to travel together safely. The platform soon grew into what it is known as today: ‘travelling sisterhood,’ organising holiday packages for Muslim women. Their mission to empower, connect and support women to travel in confidence is achieved through forming a sisterhood of travelling companions. Some have commented on the spontaneity that is on offer and how these trips foster bonds amongst diverse individuals. To find out more about the destinations on offer, visit MWTG.

Sisters Getaway

Sisters Getaway set up by Adbiya Meddings, organises retreats for women to places including Granada, Marrakech and Zanzibar. The focus is on nurturing a sisterhood, a space for women, particularly Muslim women reverts to ‘unwind, connect and make lifelong bonds.’ Their travel itinerary is filled with enriching cultural experiences that connects to the Islamic heritage of the places travelled to. To learn about the retreats on offer, visit their Instagram page.

The Wanderlust Women

During Covid-19 lockdown founder, Amira Patel decided to launch the Wanderlust Women, a hiking and adventure group. The idea for creating this group was based on a desire to see more Muslim women gain confidence in exploring their homelands and beyond. The Wanderlust Women’s mission is focused on creating a deeper connection to faith, breaking barriers and empowering women to heal from past experiences. Further information on upcoming expeditions in the UK and international can be found on the website.

Halal Travel Guide

Founder, Soumaya Hamdi on her summer travels through South Asia in 2015 came across the many barriers getting in the way of Muslims being able to fully enjoy their travel experiences. This inspired her to consider how to make travelling easier, providing opportunities for travellers to gain immersive experiences that goes beyond mere sightseeing. With an emphasis on responsible and immersive travel, Halal Travel Guide ensures the travel experiences align with core faith-traditions of community, stewardship and respect for diversity. To learn more about how they support responsible tourism and organise tour groups here.

Dezy Tours and Travels

Burnt out from her hectic life working as an NHS consultant, Ola Van Steen decided she needed to do something different. It was while on her many travels, she took a chance on turning her passion for travelling into a business. Despite having no business or marketing experience this did not deter her from looking into how she can help others travel smarter. Four years on since starting Dezy Tours and Travels, Ola left her full-time job in the NHS and has been able to help 200 individuals and their families to travel smart and even earn an income from the travel. What’s interesting about Dezy Tours and Travels is that it can be a source of passive income and an opportunity to network with other like-minded individuals. Last month, we featured Ola’s story on how she together with her friend Ada Chime became travel entrepreneurs, to read more here.

In recognising the unique preferences of Muslim women travellers, these travel companies reflect a broader movement towards inclusivity and diversity within the travel industry. More significantly, the shift underscores a growing confidence in Muslim women exploring new places, at ease in being visibly Muslim and freer to travel globally.