Tripfez

Tripfez operates as a specialized online travel agency, strategically positioned to capitalize on the rapidly expanding global Muslim tourism sector. Founded in Malaysia in 2013 by co-founders Faeez Fadhlillah and Juergen Gallistl, the company was established to address the specific faith-based needs of modern Muslim travelers. Fadhlillah, a University of Sydney engineering graduate, leveraged his passion for travel to create a platform that simplifies faith-compliant journeys, a venture that earned him a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list in 2016.

The company's business model is twofold. For consumers, it functions as a B2C online travel platform offering bookings for halal-friendly travel packages, Umrah, flights, hotels, and ground arrangements. For the industry, Tripfez developed the Salam Standard, a proprietary certification system that rates hotels on their Muslim-friendliness. This standard assesses amenities such as the availability of halal food, prayer direction (Qibla) indicators, and prayer mats, categorizing hotels into Bronze, Silver, or Gold tiers to help travelers make informed decisions. The Salam Standard was also developed into an API for integration by travel partners.

Historically, the company began as Lagisatu.com, a meta-search engine for Muslim-friendly hotels, before rebranding to Tripfez to encompass a broader service offering. A significant milestone occurred in November 2018 when Tripfez merged with Dubai-based Online Travel Agency (OTA) Holidayme. This strategic merger, accompanied by a US$16 million funding round led by Gobi Partners, was aimed at creating one of the world's largest OTAs for Muslim travelers by combining Tripfez's knowledge of the Southeast Asian market and its Salam Standard with Holidayme's advanced travel technology and Middle Eastern market presence. Prior to the merger, Tripfez had secured US$750,000 in a seed round in 2016 from investors including Gobi Partners, Intres Capital, and angel investor Douglas Khoo. The firm also offers corporate travel management services, handling logistics for business clients to optimize savings and efficiency.

Keywords: Halal tourism, Muslim travel, online travel agency, Salam Standard, Faeez Fadhlillah, faith-compliant travel, Umrah packages, Muslim-friendly hotels, Islamic travel, Gobi Partners, Holidayme merger, corporate travel management, Lagisatu, TaqwaTech, travel booking platform, Halal-friendly packages, religious travel, Southeast Asia travel, Middle East travel, travel certification