There are more and more Muslim travelers
The muslim tourists of the world move today around the 12% of spending global tourism, according to a report by the consulting firm Dinar Standard. It is an amount that Gloria Ally hopes to increase thanks to its website Muslim Travel Rocks , in which she encourages her religious companions to travel, and offers them destination guides where you feel welcome.
But what does a Muslim need for a place to be friendly ? According to Aly, for an Islamic traveler it is essential to locate the mosque closest, or at least have a empty room in which to carry out three prayers a day (the usual five are reduced during travel) . Also, it is necessary to know the restaurants offering halal food , which includes those foods that do not carry pork and for whose preparation the sacrificial rite Muslim. However, Aly points out that they can also eat at vegetarian or seafood restaurants.
When looking for a hotel, they value that it is oriented in direction to Mecca , offering halal food and drinks without alcohol and that it has call for prayer and a room to carry it out. However, all this is not strictly essential, and Aly says that if it is not possible to find accommodation of this type, it is worth that don't have a bar and be family friendly. The mobile does the rest, because, according to her, she assures, the majority of Muslims have an app that lets them know what time they should pray and that they have a compass which points in which direction to do it.
"With Muslim Travel Rocks I want my fellow Muslims to know that it is possible to travel to a destination that professes another religion and that they be offered services they need," she asserts. And she recalls: "During the presidential election of 2016, and with all the turmoil that our country has suffered with the Islamophobia , I realized that I wanted to fight it through the trips, and at the same time, put an end to the idea that the United States is not a destination where muslims are welcome ".
As an American, this mission is central to her. Gloria Aly was born in New Jersey, although, because her family is Puerto Rican -she is the only Muslim-, she has spent her life traveling to that territory, in addition to carrying out countless roadtrips across North America. "Being exposed to a different culture Since I was little, she made me want to learn more about other cultures, traditions and religions: I wanted to see the world ", she explains to us. For that, she studied Tourism, a bachelor's degree that now serves him to make that industry aware of the muslim world needs through talks and courses. The next ones she will give in the TravelCon 2018 , in Austin (Texas) and in the Women In Travel Summit 2018 , in Quebec (Canada) .
Precisely this country is where more comfortable she feels like the traveler, because she, in her opinion, is a State that really embrace diversity. "It's about the people more open and generous of the world!” she exclaims. However, she claims to have felt comfortable in all the places she has visited, although what she does bother her is being the object of special interest in the Security control of the airports.
"I feel anxiety just thinking about queuing to cross the checkpoint. It is very uncomfortable to have all eyes on you simply because look Muslim or wear a hijab . Some people look at you and then look away, while others stare at you. I always get selected for pass the corporal scanner, and then they ask me to step aside and they frisk me . It's humiliating that this happens when the whole world is watching you. Unfortunately, Muslims we are watched today more than ever thanks to Trump", explains the blogger, who asks those who remain watching that, at least, crack a smile Or say a kind word.
She also advises patience to her/his Islamic classmates ("Better book a extra time to go through security", she warns her), and she never tires of repeating that traveling is a basic part of Islam: "The Prophet Mohammed saw him as a essential way of finding knowledge, and we Muslims are encouraged to continually seek knowledge", she tells us. Therefore, she calls her fellows to embark on new Adventures and not let your "limited beliefs" cohiban them: "We tell ourselves that we are **too busy,** or that traveling is too much expensive. But traveling is every time more affordable, and the world is a amazing place that is waiting for you to visit it, "she assures.