New app to boost Muslim travel

The HALAL travel market is being given a shot in the arm with a new mobile application that targets Muslim travellers worldwide. Halal-friendly hotels, holiday packages, restaurants as well as destination and airport guides can be found on crTravel Guide, an Android mobile application launched earlier this month by Singapore-based company, Crescentrating. 

Asian Overland Services Tours & Travel director of sales & business development, Andy Muniandy, said the application would be useful for first-time Muslim FIT travellers to Malaysia as information they required would be at their fingertips. Malaysia is one of 20 destinations covered in the application. Others include India, China, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Singapore. With 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide, halal-friendly travel services is set to rise in demand. 

Crescentrating CEO, Fazal Bahardeen, said another 20 destinations would be added over the next six months. The next step would be to launch mobile applications for iPhone, iPad, Symbian and BlackBerry devices, he added. This is scheduled for April 2011. Singapore-based EuroAsia Communications, which helped with crTravel Guide's development, will distribute the application through its partner network of telco operators in countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and India. 

-TTG Asia.