Mavrian Historical, Cultural and Religious Heritage in Modern Spain Tourism

Abstract

The article covers the problem of establishing Halal tourism, which has begun to develop in recent years. The question is considered via the analysis of cultural monuments of Mavrian heritage in Spain. The spreading of a new type of tourism and its features is considered separately. Key scientific ideas and works on the origin of the term «halal tourism» are also analyzed. The paper identifies the main problems of development of this type of tourism, the main of which can be identified anti-Islamist sentiments of the Spanish right-wing political party Vox. In addition, representatives of the tourism sector are still insufficiently aware of the possibilities of presenting, spreading and developing halal tourism. So far, only two hotels in Spain have passed and received special certificates and are recognized as providing products and services, respecting the religious beliefs of their visitors. In particular, the requirements for certificates include the presence of a halal menu in the hotel restaurant, prayer rugs and directions to Mecca in the rooms, the correct location of beds and bathrooms, no alcohol in the minibar. The article also mentions the main organizations in Spain that contribute to the spread and stabilization of halal tourism – Instituto Halal, Halal International Tourism, etc. The current achievements in this field of tourism in Spain are listed, including the second place in the list of Global Muslim Travel Index 2018. In addition, Spain continues to actively move towards the development of this type of tourism and attracting more and more Arab tourists to its country.