Organised by CrescentRating, a global authority on halal-friendly travel, the Halal in Travel Awards celebrate travel industry players' efforts to make Halal travel a seamless experience. These awards recognise destinations, organisations, companies, and individuals who have made significant impact on the Muslim lifestyle travel.

Halal tourism is a segment of the tourism industry that caters to the unique needs and preferences of Muslim travellers. It focuses on providing services and amenities that align with Islamic principles and the faith-based requirements of Muslim tourists. This includes offering halal food, prayer facilities, gender segregation options, and environments that are free from alcohol and gambling.

Presented under the “Halal Travel Personalities of the Year” category, the award recognises Dr Hafihz’s contributions to research and thought leadership in helping to make the tourism sector more welcoming to Muslim travellers.

“I’m glad to be part of the global conversation about the collaborative potential between industry and academia, and how such synergies need to be further tapped to create better travel experiences and more sustainable tourism ecosystems,” says Dr Hafihz, whose interest in research on Muslim-friendly travel started about a decade ago.

“With increasing technological, social and environmental forces shaping travel opportunities and experiences, I hope that my research will continue to contribute to the dynamic tourism industry,” he adds.

Dr Hafihz received his award during a ceremony held on Thursday, 12 June 2025. The ceremony was part of the Halal in Travel Global Summit 2025, which gathered experts, policymakers, and travel stakeholders from around the world.

“We are proud to recognise Dr Nurhafihz Noor as our Halal Travel Scholar of the Year. His work embodies the synergy between academia and industry that is vital for our future. By translating research into actionable insights, scholars like Dr Hafihz provide the entire travel ecosystem with the critical understanding needed to innovate and create more inclusive, meaningful experiences for Muslim travellers worldwide. His contributions are invaluable to the sustainable growth of the Halal travel sector,” says Mr Fazal Bahardeen, CEO of CrescentRating and HalalTrip.

“Dr Hafihz’s recognition is a significant milestone that reflects both his individual contributions as well as JCU Singapore’s growing role in advancing research and education on inclusive tourism,” says Associate Professor Wang Pengji, Acting Academic Head at JCU Singapore’s Business School.

“As an active researcher and educator in Marketing at JCU Singapore, Dr Hafihz has been instrumental in pioneering research that bridges academic inquiry with industry application. He has authored over 20 publications featuring Halal tourism and has been leading students to work on related projects – I have seen firsthand, his passion and contributions to the global discourse on Muslim-friendly travel,” she adds.

Dr Hafihz’s research interests include services marketing, technology adoption, and Halal hospitality, and he serves on several industry advisory and journal editorial boards. To date, he has published over 40 academic articles, books, book chapters, industry reports and media contributions. Beyond his research, Dr Hafihz seeks to equip students with a global, multicultural perspective on marketing and the importance of code-switching and working together with different peoples and technologies to create better value for all.

Check out Dr Nurhafihz Noor’s staff profile.

Find out more about the Singapore campus of James Cook University.

Discover further information on areas of research, and research strength at James Cook University in Singapore.

Contacts

Dr Nurhafihz Noor nurhafihz.noor@jcu.edu.au

Media: Ms Pinky Sibal pinky.sibal@jcu.edu.au / Ms Hoe Shu Rin shurin.hoe@jcu.edu.au