Ahead of International Women’s day, Halal Travel Guide Founder & Managing Director, Soumaya T Hamdi, was interviewed by writer Alex Temblador and listed in TravelPulse’s ’20 Influential Women in the Travel Industry’. You can read the full article here.

What she has done: Soumaya T. Hamdi is the Founder and Managing Director of Halal Travel Guide, the UK-based travel company whose goal is to make it easier for Muslims to access better travel experiences. Soumaya works in partnership with locals from around the world to host trips designed with adventure-seeking Muslims in mind, as well as offering free digital travel guides to help Muslims plan better independent trips. Through the site, she recently launched an instant-booking platform with experiences including desert stargazing in Wadi Ru and road-tripping with locals in Barbados.

Soumaya has spoken at various international conferences like Food Trex Global, World Halal Summit, and the Halal in Travel Uzakrota Conference, as well as has been featured in numerous international publications, including the Guardian Observer and the New York Times. She has is described as the “entrepreneur redefining travel for millennial Muslims.”

What changes would you like to see in the travel industry?

“I’d like to see more engagement with local communities from travel & tourism leaders and stakeholders. After all, the best travel experiences are the ones where you get to connect with the locals, try out the food, experience the culture, and connect with the community. When we build these genuine connections we’re creating the environment for travel to bring so much more good, both to the traveller and the local community.”