Thousands of delegates are expected to attend world’s biggest international conference on halal tourism - an industry now worth over $150 billion. The Halal Tourism Conference 2016 is being held on 3-5 May 2016 in Konya, Turkey and will bring together some of the world’s leading names in the travel industry. Themed “Developing Halal Tourism Industries” the two-day event will feature a number of keynote speeches, panel discussions and workshops and will also see new campaigns and projects launched. Alongside the conference, there will also be a three-day exhibition featuring over 100 businesses from across the world. Over 1,000 delegates from all over the world are expected to attend including tourism boards, travel agencies, tour operators, hotels and airlines. This year’s event will also feature from Hajj and Umrah providers, financial institutions and food and drink businesses. It is the second time the event is being held in Europe following the success of the inaugural event in Andalucía, Spain. A recent study has revealed that in 2015 the estimated total Muslim visitor arrivals were 117 million representing close to 10% of the entire travel economy. This is forecasted to grow to 168 million visitors by 2020 and 11% of the market segment with a market value projected to exceed $200 billion. The Halal Economy that encompasses the Halal Tourism, Halal Food, Halal Clothing, Halal Cosmetics and Pharmaceuticals among others is poised to grow over the next few years. Valued at approximately US$3.2 trillion in 2012, the halal sector is forecasted to increase to US$6.4 trillion by 2018. A study by Pew Research Centre has found that the world’s Muslim population will grow at 35% over the next decade, which is around double the rate of the non- Muslim population. This will bring the Muslim population from 1.6 billion in 2010 to 2.2 billion by 2030. Thomson Reuters has predicted that the Islamic tourism market is projected to be worth US$181 billion by 2018. Recognising the potential in the rapidly growing Muslim population, and the increasing demand for halal alternatives in various retail sectors, many countries including non-muslim countries are already jumping on the bandwagon and opening up their markets for Muslim capital and tourists. According to the 2014-2015 report by Thomson Reuters on the State of the Global Islamic Economy the global Muslim spending on travel (outbound) has increased 7.7% to reach $140 billion in 2013(excluding Hajj and Umrah). This is 11.6% of the global expenditure and is expected to reach $238 billion by 2019. Top source countries of Muslim tourists based on 2013 expenditure were: Saudi Arabia ($17.8 billion), Iran ($14.3 billion), United Arab Emirates ($11.2 billion), Qatar ($ 7.8 billion), Kuwait ($7.7 billion), and Indonesia ($7.5 billion). Meanwhile, Malaysia, UAE and Singapore lead the Halal Travel Indicator that focusses on the health of the family-friendly/Halal Travel ecosystem a country has relative to its size. Organiser Bilal Domah, from CM Media, based in UK, said the 2016 conference would be the biggest seen in Europe. He said: “The Halal travel sector is now at a critical stage of its development and this conference will reflect the trends of the market. “The event will seek to move the debate on to where the sector is heading and how the various industries that form Halal tourism can be developed. “We have some of the most renowned names in the sector who will be part of a very exciting event that will shape the future of the halal tourism industry. “Our first event in Spain was a ground-breaking event and we are confident that through our experience and partners this will be another memorable event. 'This is a not-to-be-missed chance to get businesses across the world together to showcase what’s planned for the industry going forward and it’s going to be another exciting event.” Confirmed guest speakers at the event will include Dr. Bandar, Fahad al Fehaid, Delegation of Arab Tourism Organization of the Arab league, Fazal Bahardeen, CEO of Crescentrating & HalalTrip, Simon Coombs, President & CEO – Shaza Hotels, Irfan Onal, Director General, Ministry Of Culture and Tourism Promotion and Rafi-Uddin Shikoh, CEO of Dinar Standard. The conference will be hosted alongside an exhibition which will last for three days with the final day opened to trade and public. It will feature over 100 exhibitors from Turkey and the rest of the world. The Halal Tourism Conference 2016 takes place from the 3rd to 5th May 2016 at the Mevlana Cultural Center in Konya, Turkey.

S.PELLEGRINO RETURNS - CALLING YOUNG CHEFS IN THE UAE FOR THE YOUNG CHEF AWARD MEA SEMIFINALS SET TO TAKE PLACE IN DUBAI FOR THE FIRST TIME Dubai, February 27, 2017 – S.Pellegrino Young Chef Award is back for the third year to find the world's best young chef. Young chefs from around the world, including the UAE, are invited to submit an application with their signature dish at www.sanpellegrino.com, which will serve as the new digital hub of the competition. Applying chefs must be 30-years-old or younger and have at least one year of experience working in a restaurant as a chef, sous chef or chef de partie. The submission form and process have been further streamlined to manage the application phase in the most effective way possible. The deadline for submitting entries in April 30th, 2017. What's even more exciting is that this year, Middle East and Africa region semifinal event, which is scheduled for October 2017, will take place in Dubai for the first time. Last year, UAE-based chef Gregoire Berger won regional challenge, and represented the MEA region at the international grand finale. Commenting, Luca Antonelli, Area manager – Middle East, S.Pellegrino said: "We are extremely thrilled to host Middle East and Africa region semifinal event in Dubai this year. Year by year we see an increase in number of applications for the international competition from the UAE. Through this initiative, S.Pellegrino is delighted to play a role in providing a platform to the rising culinary talent to demonstrate and strengthen their skills and gain from valuable visibility. With the clock ticking down to the start of Dubai Expo 2020 and massive growth expected in tourism, F&B and hospitality market over the next few years, it is very important to pave a way for the new generation of gastronomists to perform on a par with the best and provide them with a significant professional boost to offer a world-class culinary experience to the industry." The third edition will take place over the course of 18 months, with final event taking place in Milan in June, 2018. The extended duration for this edition will allow candidates more time to work side by side their assigned Chef Mentors to improve their signature dishes and refine their skill set in preparation for the finals. In addition, applications will now be accepted in English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, French and Italian. All qualified applicants will be divided into 21 regions* according to their geographic origin. Submissions will then be evaluated by ALMA, the world's leading international educational and training centre for Italian Cuisine, which will select the top 10 semifinalists for each geographic region, according to five "Golden Rules":  Ingredients, Skills, Genius, Beauty and Message The 10 selected semifinalists of each of the 21 geographic areas will compete in a Local Semifinals round, where live competitions will be held in each region from June to December.  In June 2018, the 21 Young Chef finalists will gather in Italy for the Grand Finale event to compete for the S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018 title in front of Seven Sages, a distinguished panel of judges comprised of some of the most celebrated culinary masters of the world. Over the course of the contest – which last year, attracted over 3,000 applicants – 70 top chefs will be involved as jurors in the local competitions, 21 young chefs from 21 different geographic areas will be selected as semifinalists, and 21 Chef Mentors will be assigned individually to the young chefs, providing guidance throughout their exceptional journey.