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Article
Publication date: 13 November 2017

Fiona Wingett and Sarah Turnbull

The purpose of this study is to explore the expectations of Muslim tourists when taking a halal holiday. Understanding consumer expectations is an important factor in any service…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the expectations of Muslim tourists when taking a halal holiday. Understanding consumer expectations is an important factor in any service context since expectations determine whether the consumer is satisfied or dissatisfied with the service outcome.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory approach was adopted and in-depth interviews with Muslim tourists and halal holiday providers were undertaken.

Findings

The findings identified services and facilities Muslim consumers expect from a halal holiday and those they did not expect to see. Factors such as halal food, women-only facilities and dress codes were identified as services and facilities that are expected, whereas no alcohol was seen to be an important factor for Muslim tourists.

Research limitations/implications

This exploratory study used a small sample and hence the findings should not be seen to be generalisable. However, the study provides a number of valuable insights into the expectations of Muslim leisure tourists. Halal travel organisations and tourism boards will benefit from a better understanding of factors that influence the satisfaction/dissatisfaction of Muslim tourists.

Originality/value

The study makes three main contributions to our understanding of halal holidays. First, the study identifies expectations that are likely to influence satisfaction, such as halal food and women-only facilities. Second, the study highlights those expectations which are likely to cause dissatisfaction for halal holidaymakers, such as alcohol and dress codes. Third, the study highlights the difference in expectations which exist between halal holidaymakers and how the interpretation and practice of Islam is highly varied.

Details

Journal of Islamic Marketing, vol. 8 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-0833

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 November 2017

Faiza Khan and Michelle Callanan

The purpose of this paper is to address the confusing use of terminology associated with tourism undertaken by Muslims and to identify key concerns associated with this type of…

3961

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address the confusing use of terminology associated with tourism undertaken by Muslims and to identify key concerns associated with this type of tourism.

Design/methodology/approach

This is an exploratory study and adopts a critical review of literature following the evolutionary concept analysis method. Content analysis of popular UK media, UK-based tour operators’ websites and tourism strategies of destinations popular with Muslim tourists were conducted to examine the use of terminology.

Findings

There is no clear difference between the various terms (halal, Muslim friendly, Islamic, etc.) used. Overall, academia uses the term Islamic tourism, while the industry and media use various terms. Among destinations, however, there is no clear and consistent use of terminology. A key concern of Islamic tourism is the role of certification in assuring travellers and the lack of standardisation of halal certification.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is based on literature review and secondary data analysis. It lacks primary research.

Practical implications

This study highlights the need for consistent use of terminology across industry. Another implication is the issue surrounding halal certification of food and the importance of trust in the seller/service provide. Another trend that industry providers need to consider is the growth of the Muslim millennial traveller and the needs of this market segment.

Originality/value

The paper highlights the importance of studying the Muslim tourist market and provides a starting point for further research. It highlights several issues such as the need to develop a typology of Muslim tourists. Of particular interest is the concern whether halal values in danger of being commodified in the absence of a universal agreed criterion for halal certification.

Details

Journal of Islamic Marketing, vol. 8 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-0833

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 June 2019

Salem Harahsheh, Rafa Haddad and Majd Alshorman

The purpose of this paper is to build a better understanding of the concept of Halal tourism as expressed by Muslim Jordanian tourists who want to comply with the Islamic law. The…

1366

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to build a better understanding of the concept of Halal tourism as expressed by Muslim Jordanian tourists who want to comply with the Islamic law. The study also examines Jordan as a Halal tourism destination as perceived by those tourists. Implications of marketing Jordan as a Halal tourism destination are among the research questions.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is empirical and quantitative in nature with a survey type. The sample of the study is Muslim Jordanians in the cities of Amman and Irbid. Respondents were chosen randomly in shopping malls, gardens and public places. A self-completion questionnaire was administered to collect the data for the research and 920 questionnaires were returned. The data were analysed using descriptive and reliability and explanatory factor analysis in addition to certain tests such as one sample t test and two samples chi-square tests.

Findings

Halal tourism in Jordan is established but needs more enhancements and promotion. Jordan was evaluated positively in 14 Halal services and was unsuccessful in ten others. The motives for Jordanian Muslim tourists who want to comply with the Islamic law, to travel to Halal destinations were destinations that offer Halal-friendly services; to know Islamic religious sites; and to learn about Islamic history. Jordanian tourists were knowledgeable of local and international Halal destinations (78.2 and 67%, respectively). More than half of the sample experienced Halal destinations in Jordan and only 26.4% abroad. From a marketing point of view, the results of this study reveal good awareness of potential Jordanian tourists towards Halal tourism and Halal services. The study revealed that Jordanian Muslim tourists who want to comply with the Islamic law showed significant positive motives to travel Halal tourism destinations. In addition, the study showed statistically significant knowledge and experiences in local Halal destinations, but not in foreign Halal destinations.

Research limitations/implications

The lack of research on Halal tourism in Jordan gives limited in-depth discussion. In addition, the study sample was chosen from two major cities in Jordan; therefore, further research is needed to include a representative sample of the whole country.

Practical implications

The paper includes marketing implications on Halal tourism in Jordan. The authors suggest marketing strategies should be launched to emphasise the importance of Halal tourism and marketing Jordan as Halal tourism destination. The recommendations of this study provide positive and negative results on Jordan as a Halal tourism destination. The negative evaluation of Jordan in terms of Halal services should be redressed by the Jordanian Government and the Jordanian private tourism and hospitality sectors to build a positive image of Jordan as a potential competitive Halal destination for Muslim tourists who want to comply with the Islamic law.

Originality/value

The paper is among the first of its kind, which empirically examined the motives of Jordanian Muslims who want to comply with the Islamic law to travel to Halal tourism destinations as well as evaluating Jordan as a Halal tourism destination. This study fills the gap in literature about Halal tourism in Jordan and presents Halal tourism as one of the alternative forms of tourism of high potential for Jordan to compete in this market segment.

Details

Journal of Islamic Marketing, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-0833

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 May 2020

Norliza Katuk, Ku Ruhana Ku-Mahamud, Kalsom Kayat, Mohd. Noor Abdul Hamid, Nur Haryani Zakaria and Ayi Purbasari

Halal tourism is a subset of tourism activities geared towards Muslim which are aligned with the Islamic principles. As a response to this, many food operators have realised the…

1645

Abstract

Purpose

Halal tourism is a subset of tourism activities geared towards Muslim which are aligned with the Islamic principles. As a response to this, many food operators have realised the importance of having a halal certification to establish a better market position. In the context of Indonesia, it is yet to be known what attitudes the food operators have towards halal certification and what attributes characterised those who have obtained the certification. Therefore, this study aims to examine the attributes of food operators and their attitudes towards halal certification in Indonesia.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey and structured interview were conducted on 298 food operators in Bandung, a city in Indonesia, between August and December 2018. Seven hypotheses were proposed and tested to evaluate the association between halal certification and food operators’ attributes and their attitudes towards it.

Findings

The results of the study suggested that food operators who had halal certification can be characterised by the number of branches the businesses have, the knowledge of halal tourism and knowledge on the market segment. However, the age of their business was found not related to halal certification. In terms of attitudes, the study found that performance beliefs, intention to apply and target market segment had associated with halal certification.

Practical implications

The outcomes of the study could provide information to entities and agencies involved in the tourism industry that consider targeting Muslim travellers as their market segment. Halal certification could be an approach to facilitate tourism marketing and consequently increase the performance of food-related business sectors.

Originality/value

This study provides evidence that could lead to a better understanding of the attributes of food operators and their attitudes towards halal certification in the context of Indonesia’s tourism industry.

Details

Journal of Islamic Marketing, vol. 12 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-0833

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 May 2019

Norliza Aminudin and Salamiah A. Jamal

This study is one of the first to address the types of tourism in contemporary standing in relation to the travel chronicle of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Consequently, this paper…

Abstract

Purpose

This study is one of the first to address the types of tourism in contemporary standing in relation to the travel chronicle of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Consequently, this paper aims to identify the similarities between contemporary types of tourism and the premodern travelogue of Muhammad. Not many studies have been conducted relating to Islam, Muhammad and tourism.

Design/methodology/approach

Muhammad’s travel chronicle was reviewed through a content analysis of the Qu’ran, Hadith and Sirah. A literature review on contemporary types of tourism was conducted to synchronise the use of terminology from Muhammad’s premodern travels and contemporary types of tourism.

Findings

It is clear that the experiences being narrated in contemporary tourism were also experienced during Muhammad’s time, using different terminology but with similar connotations.

Originality/value

This study is one of the first to address the similarities between Muhammad’s premodern travelling and contemporary types of tourism. It is clear that several types of tourism that exist today were actually experienced and practiced by Muhammad.

Details

Journal of Islamic Marketing, vol. 11 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-0833

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 March 2020

Huseyin Pamukcu and Mehmet Sariisik

The purpose of this paper is to determine the expectations of hotel guests regarding the halal standards in the hotels where they stay. Besides, the determination of differences…

1328

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the expectations of hotel guests regarding the halal standards in the hotels where they stay. Besides, the determination of differences in demographic characteristics of the participants is among the objectives of the research. Thus, taking into consideration the halal standard expectations of the participants, the results that will support the applications of accommodation establishments have been attempted to be figured out.

Design/methodology/approach

Quantitative research methods were used in this research. Owing to the lack of a specific scale in the related literature, the questionnaire used in the study was created as a result of pilot tests conducted with the expressions mentioned in the theoretical studies. In a sense, this research provides a basis for the development of a scale that was not available in this area. Analysis methods were decided by considering the preconditions for parametric test techniques.

Findings

Islamic lifestyle is specified as the most common reason for choosing halal concept hotels. Additionally, there are some other outstanding reasons like halal food, safer holiday etc. Watching TV during the holidays is the least important reason to spend time. It has been determined that the attitude toward halal tourism changes according to gender and women’s attitude toward tourism is more positive than men’s. In addition to this, it is found out that the attitude of halal tourism differs by age for males, while it differs by educational status for women. It is ensured that potential entrepreneurs can achieve significant economic gains by attracting investors’ attention to this market. Besides, the possibility of meeting the holiday needs of the masses with religious sensitivities within the country is revealed by halal tourism. The emergence of sufficient tourism facilities will show that this group will be respected and valued. Hence, this will also contribute positively to social tolerance.

Research limitations/implications

Halal tourism is an issue for almost all tourism (accommodation, eating, recreation, transportation) businesses. However, this dissertation focused on accommodation establishments and other tourism enterprises were excluded from the scope of the study.

Practical implications

It is believed that this study is authentic in the way it offers a universal halal tourism model for the hospitality industry as well as the comprehensive literature review that it is built on. Thus, it is expected to have a significant impact on both practical and theoretical knowledge.

Originality/value

This study is unique in terms of increasing the satisfaction of the people demanding the halal concept accommodation establishments can apply halal tourism and offering a standardization proposal for that. It is thought that this research is original and that it is important for both the practice field and the theoretical field to provide a standardization which can be applied in accommodation establishments.

Details

Journal of Islamic Marketing, vol. 12 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-0833

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 November 2019

Anna Shnyrkova and Marina Predvoditeleva

The purpose of this study is to identify Halal hotel attributes demanded by the Russian Muslim travelers. Following this, the study aims to investigate whether gender and types of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify Halal hotel attributes demanded by the Russian Muslim travelers. Following this, the study aims to investigate whether gender and types of travelers influence the demand for Halal hotel attributes.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews were conducted to localize the list of Halal hotel attributes for the Russian business context. A self-administrated online questionnaire was designed, distributed and collected from 191 Russian Muslim customers, who have stayed at Halal hotels in the past 12 months. Data analysis includes a t-test and analysis of variance.

Findings

The study revealed a list of Halal attributes demanded by Russian Muslim customers. Also, the findings indicate that the list of the attributes demonstrated the differences in the requested attributes between gender and types of travelers.

Research limitations/implications

The study came across three main limitations. The first was that the respondents surveyed were leisure tourists. Second, the majority of the respondents have university degrees. Third, the research sample is limited to approximately 200 respondents. This research primarily contributes to tourism and hospitality management, and consumer behavior literature, as this is the first study yielding insights on a new demographic: Russian Muslim tourists.

Practical implications

The study provides a clear understanding of the Halal hotel attributes demanded by Russian Muslims that can help hotel managers to accommodate the needs of this group while, at the same time, meeting the requirements of guests of different religions.

Social implications

The study contributes to improving social relationships within the Russian Federation as it improves society’s understanding of the life principles of Muslims.

Originality/value

This is the first study investigating the demand for Halal attributes by Russian Muslim tourists. By partly covering the empty research field on this topic, the study provides meaningful direction to future research of the Russian hotels’ Halal services from both supply and demand perspectives.

Details

Journal of Islamic Marketing, vol. 13 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-0833

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 May 2019

Alfonso Vargas-Sánchez and María Moral-Moral

The first problem when diving into this topic is the confusion caused by a number of terms intended to designate the same concept, in addition to the lack of a shared…

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Abstract

Purpose

The first problem when diving into this topic is the confusion caused by a number of terms intended to designate the same concept, in addition to the lack of a shared interpretation on what Islam requires from tourism services to secure their acceptability. This paper aims to contribute to the clarification of what halal tourism is, as it seems to be the most appropriate term to refer to practices allowed when travelling, in accordance with the Islamic law.

Design/methodology/approach

A synthesis of the current situation was carried out, based on the papers contained in Web of Science and Scopus databases. Moreover, a consultation of tourism experts was implemented to extract a number of practical implications for the promotion and development of this segment.

Findings

As the literature review suggested, halal tourism is a field of study that is still in a very early stage. In spite of this fact and the ambiguity found, halal tourism can be understood as the offer of tourist services designed to meet the needs of Muslim tourists in accordance with their religious obligations.

Practical implications

It is imperative to offer halal services (food, worship facilities, etc.) to attract this type of tourists. However, the diversity of interpretations has prevented the existence of one single certification. The lack of knowledge on this market is the main obstacle to overcome.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to clarifying the conceptualization of halal tourism. It takes a theoretical review and experts’ view as a preliminary step to study this topic in more depth.

Details

Journal of Islamic Marketing, vol. 11 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-0833

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 August 2021

Huseyin Arasli, Mehmet Bahri Saydam, Tugrul Gunay and Kaveh Jafari

On a global scale, the Muslim-friendly hospitality business has intensified hotel competition. Given the paucity of research on the important service quality characteristics of…

Abstract

Purpose

On a global scale, the Muslim-friendly hospitality business has intensified hotel competition. Given the paucity of research on the important service quality characteristics of Muslim-friendly hotels, this study aims to identify the major themes encountered by tourists at Muslim-friendly hotels.

Design/methodology/approach

The research used content analyzes (qualitative) to examine 1,250 reviews using Leximancer software. Data were gathered from the online travel website booking.com. The top 10 Islamic hotels according to Crescent ranking were taken into a data set.

Findings

Qualitative (narratives) analysis showcased nine key themes, namely, “hotel,” “staff,” “food,” “room,” “location,” “pool,” “facilities,” “cleanliness” and “Wi-Fi.” Furthermore, the findings of this study contribute to filling research voids in the literature by distinguishing themes linked with halal hotel “satisfaction” from those associated with “dissatisfaction.”

Originality/value

The findings of this research offer valuable visions into halal-hotel travelers’ overall experiences based on user-generated content and facilitate the identification of the dominant themes linked with a different value for money ratings.

Details

Journal of Islamic Marketing, vol. 14 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-0833

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 September 2023

Ismah Osman, Junainah Junid, Husniyati Ali, Siti Zahrah Buyong, Sharifah Zannierah Syed Marzuki and Nor'ain Othman

This study aims to ascertain consumption values of Muslim tourists, attitudes, satisfaction and loyalty towards a Muslim-friendly accommodation, which has gained recognition from…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to ascertain consumption values of Muslim tourists, attitudes, satisfaction and loyalty towards a Muslim-friendly accommodation, which has gained recognition from the Malaysian Government. Subsequently, an overall Muslim-friendly image was examined as a moderating variable within the associated relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative research design with a purposive sampling technique was chosen through a sample size of 378 people in Malaysia and distributed via social media. The respondents were selected based on the Muslim-friendly accommodation recognition (MFAR) initiatives, a procedure of accreditation which acknowledges Muslim-friendly accommodation for tourists. To obtain data from those travellers, structured questionnaires were used. SmartPLS was used for data analysis in this study.

Findings

The values which were found to have an influence on attitude towards a Muslim-friendly accommodation are related to social, emotional, economic, functional, monetary and epistemic elements. On the other hand, hedonic, conditional, Islamic and altruistic values were found to be insignificant in determining the attitude towards a Muslim-friendly accommodation. Subsequently, an overall Muslim-friendly image was found to moderate the relationship between social, monetary and altruistic values and its link concerning attitude towards the accommodation, while the rest of the relationships were not significant. More importantly, attitude seems to have an impact on satisfaction, as well as its loyalty towards a Muslim-friendly accommodation.

Research limitations/implications

Firstly, it begins with understanding Malaysia, one of the developing countries in Southeast Asia. Secondly, data was collected from participants using a survey method, from purposive sampling which may limit the findings’ generalizability. Thirdly, this study focussed exclusively on the perceived value dimensions associated with Muslim-friendly accommodation, thus, disregarding consumers who may associate with other types of tourism and hospitality elements.

Practical implications

The results provide a fresh insight and a better understanding regarding the consumption values and all of its related components towards customer loyalty of the Muslim-friendly accommodation in Malaysia. In addition, the findings deliver new information and a deeper understanding of relevant values in Malaysia’s Muslim-friendly accommodation, which can be used as a standard guideline by industry practitioners, local and abroad.

Social implications

This research supports service providers in developing effective brand management strategies for their own businesses. Apparently, this study discovers that emotional values tend to be the most important values in determining attitude towards Muslim-friendly accommodation.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the studies examining the overall perceived Muslim-friendly image within the consumption values that are relevant from an Islamic viewpoint. It provides policymakers, as well as the industry players, some reliable approaches for enhancing Muslim-friendly accommodation.

Details

Journal of Islamic Marketing, vol. 15 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-0833

Keywords

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