Lake Garda: Luxury Hotel becomes Muslim Friendly-tourism in change!

Lake Garda: Luxury Hotel becomes Muslim Friendly-tourism in change!

Riva del Garda, Italien - Recently, a noticeable change in the tourist event on Lake Garda has become apparent, which is primarily shaped by the declines of German vacationers. The famous five-star Hotel Lido Palace in Riva plans to be the first hotel in Trentino with the "Muslim Friendly" certificate. The reason? A significant increase in guests from Muslim countries, especially Saudi Arabia, which rose from 0.58 % in 2022 to currently 3.18 %. In recent years, the focus in the tourist sector has changed significantly, and the Lido Palace wants to take this new reality into account. According to [FOCUS] (https://www.focus.de/reisen/zu-wenig-deutsche-touristen-5-sternen-am-gardaeeee Muslim-Friendly-werden_48286d4a-7243-BB81-2e6774d82050.html), the number of German guests at Lake Garda, While more and more Americans, Brazilians and Arabs go on vacation in the region.

The vice director of Lido Palace, Daniele Vaccari, emphasizes that more and more large families are booking several rooms and deviating their holiday preferences from those of European guests. The step towards certification as a "Muslim Friendly" will enable the hotel to target the needs of Muslim travelers. Such certification includes, among other things, the provision of dishes that meet Islamic food regulations. Halal, which means "allowed" or "pure", is a central point that is of great importance for the guests. In this context, Südtirol News reported that cooperation with the Halal Development network is planned to ensure that the standards are fulfilled.

The change in the travel trend

The changes on Lake Garda follow a global trend in tourism. More and more hotels are aimed specifically for practicing Muslims, since the proportion of Muslim travelers will increase considerably in the coming years. According to a study by [Reisereporter] (https://www.reisreeporter.de/reiseinspiration/reisreinspiration/reisen-fuer-muslime-das-stecken-hinter-Trend-halal-hhalal-ybmmmmmmi3lxsgo5QGPG2.HTML, according to a study by 2024 Muslim travelers are shaped. The holiday habits of these travelers differ from those of the Europeans - for example, 33 % of Muslims prefer to travel to cities, while only 22 % of Western Europeans do so.

Adjustment to the wishes and needs of this new target group requires some changes in the equipment of the hotels. This includes, for example, the provision of Korans and prayer carpets on the rooms, as well as separate pool and wellness areas. The exclusion of alcohol and pork is also very important for the furnishings. The increase in arrivals from Muslim countries shows that these adjustments are absolutely necessary to meet the needs of travelers.

The future of Lake Garda

In the context of the current artificial movements, it can be seen that the Lake Garda faces great challenges and opportunities. While the bookings go back from Germany - from 14.53 % in 2024 to currently 10.87 % - there are still positive booking figures from other countries. The proportion of American guests rose to 16.25 % in 2025, which indicates that the luxury segment remains stable, while German vacationers often prefer campsites. The market is changing, and with the pursuit of a "Muslim Friendly" certification, the Lido Palace shows that it has a good knack for standing up in a future-oriented manner.