Islamic Tourism (www.islamictourism.com) provides insight into travel throughout the Arab and Muslim world. It also has news about attractions in Africa, conferences in Europe and a variety of information concerning Asia and the Central Asian Republics. The focus of the website is the 56 member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).
A unique feature of the website is its weekly news bulletin published in Arabic, English, Spanish, French and German. The news bulletin is well researched using a variety of sources including Ministries of Tourism and tourist boards, news supplied by a variety of tour operators, some exclusive items from Islamic Tourism correspondents, local newspapers, etc. At the website visitors can sign up for the bulletins by providing their e-mail address.
The man behind the website is Iraqi-born A.S. Shakiry. Immediately after 9/11, Shakiry launched Islamic Tourism Magazine from London to put forward a positive image of the Muslim world.
“Both the Islamic Tourism website and magazine promote tourism with an ethical dimension and aim to bridge the gap between the Muslim world and the rest of the globe,” Shakiry said. “The website and magazine promote tourism among Islamic countries, in addition to tourism between these countries and the rest of the world. At Islamic Tourism we believe that tourism is an ideal way to bridge the gap between different nations and civilizations and to encourage the spirit of dialogue and understanding.”