Faith-Based Travel: Hajj Trips a Unique Niche for Agency

For many Muslims, making the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia is the most important journey they’ll ever take. And for the travel agents who help them get there, arranging their travels involves a unique set of challenges.

Just ask Ahmed Mohamed, operations director of Dar El Salam Islamic World Travel, a New York travel agency with offices around the nation and in Canada.

Although the agency offers full-service travel, including cruises and tours, its mainstay is arranging travel for a huge share of the 10,000 North Americans who make the pilgrimage to Mecca, which this year takes place in early October.

Dar El Salam Islamic World Travel takes about 3,000 pilgrims to Mecca annually, according to Mohamed.

It sells six different hajj packages, ranging in price from $8,500 to nearly $20,000, including airfare, hotels, ground transport and meals.

All in the details
Arranging hajj travel goes far beyond booking tickets and hotels. Dar El Salam Islamic World Travel handles everything from securing visas to providing meals in the tent camp during the pilgrimage.

It rents camp buildings that are used for two days of hajj preparation and reserved for the possible evacuation of pilgrims when heavy rains flood the tents, as once happened.

The agency supplies a group leader for every 45 travelers, along with other staff, for a total of 500 in Saudi Arabia. This helps to ensure that everything goes smoothly for hajj travelers.

Special requirements
There are a number of special requirements as well. For instance, travelers must submit visa applications within a month of their departures, a Saudi Arabian government regulation designed to control the number of people entering the country.

“We sometimes have to book the ticket prior to them getting the visa,” Mohamed said. “We’re taking a risk, but it doesn’t happen often that people can’t get a visa.

Another restriction is a requirement that women under age 45 travel with a male relative.

Mohamed’s company has taken groups of co-ed students from the Islamic centers of New York University and Yale University, and the imams of those centers had to write a letter promising to be responsible for taking care of the group. The travel agency had to take responsibility as well.

Approved agencies only
Travel agencies selling hajj pilgrimage trips must be approved by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj.

According to Mohamed, a travel agency must be IATA- and ARC-certified and put up a letter of credit for security in case something happens to a client while on the pilgrimage.

About 40 U.S. agencies are approved and listed on the Ministry’s website.

Preparing travelers
Travel agents who book hajj trips must understand the rituals and how to perform the hajj, as they need to provide customers with extensive information.

Dar El Salam offers tutorials for travelers on its website in English, Arabic and Urdu, as well as online forums where people can ask questions and share information.

The education process begins just after the conclusion of Ramadan – June 28 this year. Once a traveler makes a deposit, the company sends out a DVD, a list of recommended reading and reminders on how to prepare.

Before departure, travelers need to know how to do the rituals of the hajj and the daily itinerary so they know exactly what to expect.

Dealing with unknowns
The biggest challenge in handling hajj travel is dealing with a lot of unknowns and making everything come together, according to Mohamed.

“Movement is difficult. There can be changes, but when we make a decision it’s for their safety. They have to follow instructions,” Mohamed said.

“It’s a very challenging trip and people sacrifice a lot of time, money and everything else to take it. This is not a vacation but a spiritual journey with a lot of small pieces coming together. That’s what we’re here to do – make sure everything comes together.”