Meet Masood Sheriff, our go-getter CEO of Amazing Destinations Pty., Ltd., & Crescent Tours., and Sheraz Hameed, our ever-resourceful Operations Manager. Together, we are not just colleagues—we are a dynamic duo with a shared passion and a combined 78 years experience in the travel and airline industry. Yes, you read that right—78 years. We have basically been booking flights and issuing tickets (hand-written) since before the internet was a thing. During the course of our career, we have worn a lot of hats (and quite a few airport lanyards). Masood is armed with credentials like IATA/UFTAA Diploma from Geneva (Class of '89). Masood has managed high-flying corporate accounts like IBM and 3M, to running travel implants for oil companies and software giants, to working with major Australian tourism wholesalers in Sydney and Melbourne. During the pandemic, when the whole world had come to a standstill, he rolled up his sleeves and went to work for the Government at DHHS based at Melbourne Airport, handling incoming flights when most people were happy trying out banana bread recipes. Btw Masood is a foodie, and he aims to ensure his clients enjoy the best of cuisine in the countries they visit with Crescent Tours
Sheraz is armed with an MBA in Aviation Management from British Airways & Oxford Brookes University, London. With this powerful combination, he could probably manage an airport while blindfolded. Sheraz has honed his skills from the polished counters of British Airways in London and Oman, to leading roles as General Manager of Gulf Air and Etihad Airways in Indonesia. He even managed the operations of Etihad in the bustling hub of Dubai. It's safe to say that if there's a crisis in the office, Sheraz is the person to solve it.
Meet Ashraf Mohammed, our IT Head. A tech wizard 👨💻 juggling a keyboard and mouse in one hand and fine tuning his biryani recipes with his other hand. Starting his journey at Latrobe University in Melbourne. That’s right, he’s got the degree to prove he knows his stuff, and 20 years of experience to back it up. Two decades of architecting, designing, developing, and implementing web applications and Windows-based client-server systems using Microsoft Technologies. Basically, if it involves code, he’s probably broken it—and then fixed it. Kicking off with Amazing Destinations Pty Ltd. in 2006 (clearly prophetic!), Ashraf has hopped through iconic organizations like Hewlett-Packard and Australian Energy Market in Australia. In 2013, he pulled a classic “Australia to America” move and brought his talents to the U.S where he is based since then.
Meet Buse Avcı - the Design Queen at Amazing Destinations Pty. Ltd. and Crescent Tours. Buse wields her magic to turn even the vaguest of ideas into jaw-dropping visuals. Some call her a mind reader (don't worry, not in the creepy way), because she just *gets it*. You think it, she designs it—and suddenly the gap between “What we are thinking?” and “Wow, that’s exactly what we wanted!” is filled. Every project is treated with the same care as assembling IKEA furniture (but with fewer leftover screws), ensuring the message is both attractive and crystal clear. When she's not designing, Buse is out running 🏃♀️ like she's training for the Graphic Designers’ Olympics. Staying active fuels her creativity. And of course, Buse is always one step ahead of design trends, keeping visuals fresh, modern, and impactful. In short, she's our go-to girl for designs that don't just speak—they sing! 🎨✨
We have been navigating the skies long before Google Maps existed and some of our competitors were still travelling with us as our clients before they decided to start Umrah Packages businesses thinking that there is lots of money to be made in this profession. Little do they know 😉
We have personally travelled to and conducted tours in 173 cities across the globe (yes, we counted), witnessing first hand the best and the not-so-glamorous sides of the travel world. We have seen travel industry booming to becoming a multi-billion dollar industry and on the flip side, we have seen the Gulf Wars, the Tsunami, 9/11, Bali bombings in which we lost personal clients of ours, SARS & the grandest one of them all, Covid Pandemic. Through it all, one thing has remained constant, our unwavering commitment to our profession. After all, this is the only job we have done—and the only profession we know.
Those who have travelled with us know that when it comes to Umrah and Halal tours, we bring a little extra to the table—call it experience, call it passion, or just call it knowing exactly what makes a trip go from good to extraordinary. Don’t just take our word for it—our thousands of happy customers (and their glowing reviews on Google and social media) speak volumes.
This isn’t just a profession—it’s been our life. Travel is in our blood, Airline Reservation System is our playground, and customer satisfaction is our ultimate destination.
Crescent Tours is proud to be the only Halal and Umrah Tours Company in Australia licensed as a travel agency by the Australian Government. We are not here on a whim, nor are we dabbling in travel as a “side hustle” besides running other companies or a fallback after a failed venture in a completely unrelated field. Travel is our full-time job & we have been at it professionally for decades.
We have worked hard to bring a level of professionalism to Halal and Umrah travel in Australia—while keeping our tours affordable without compromising on quality. Thanks to our vast network of industry contacts, we are able to include premium services that others might consider “extras”—but for us, they ’re just part of the package. We are the only Company offering luxury all-inclusive Umrah packages for under $5,000/-.
When you travel with Crescent Tours, you are in safe hands. You get what you pay for, you get treated like family, and you get the peace of mind that only decades of experience can offer.
Look forward to seeing you in our Group.
Warm Regards
Crescent Tours
