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This research analyses the online disclosure practices of halal-friendly hotels, denoting their service provision within “halal” expectancies. This study aims to discover the halal attributes commonly used in the online marketing practices of halal-friendly hotels.

The methods used in this study include a deductive approach through literature, which was then followed by an initial investigation of several random samples that produced 24 points of halal-friendly attributes, and then content analysis to find out the online disclosure practices of 55 halal-friendly hotels. Further insights gathered through analysis of the use of Islamic images and symbols; also, by examining the nexus between the disclosure level and other variables such as halal-friendly certification level, star-level and guest ratings.

The results show that most hotels classify themselves as halal-friendly by providing information that articulates Islamic identity or by informing the existence of prayer facilities. Information displayed includes halal food, halal places, alcohol-free policy, prayer facilities and Qibla direction. Furthermore, image analysis shows that almost all hotels use human photographs, and the preferred gender is male; only a few hotels expose Islamic symbols. Most hotels maintain a neutral impression by avoiding “Islamised gender” and not overly emphasising Islamic images. Otherwise, halal-friendly certification level is positively correlated with the disclosure level.

The results provide a fresh insight regarding the online marketing practices of the halal-friendly hotels and could be used as a benchmark by the practitioners.

This topic is still unexplored; it shows this research originality.

This study examined the revisit intention of tourists in Muslim-friendly hotels in nexus with Halal-friendly hotel attributes (social environment, facilities, food and beverage, locals and staff, and services), corporate image, customer engagement, perceived value, and service encounter evaluation. It further examined the mediating role of corporate image, customer engagement and perceived value between Halal-friendly hotel attributes and service encounter evaluation.

Using a structured survey instrument, 390 valid responses were gathered from international tourists who visited Malaysia. The collected data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares – Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the assumed relationships.

The research shows that corporate image (CI), customer engagement (CE), and perceived value (PV) are directly influenced by Halal-friendly hotel attributes (HFHA) and exert influence on service encounter evaluation (SEE). Findings also suggest the mediating effect of CI, CE, and PV between HFHA and SEE. SEE further positively and significantly enhances the revisit intention and positive word-of-mouth.

The findings of this study stipulate that hotel owners should ensure the presence of HFHA in their offers to retain their existing guests and ensure their positive communication towards potential visitors through developing a fascinating image, engagement, and lucrative value.

Grounded on the attribution theory, this study contributes to the Halal tourism literature by exploring the role of Halal-friendly hotel attributes in enhancing the hotel’s image, customer engagement, and perceived value to enhance positive service encounter evaluation and revisiting intention for the hotel.

Thailand's Halal-friendly destination attributes are the focus of this study. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of Halal-friendly attributes on tourists’ intentions to visit non-Muslim destinations. Also, this study analyzes the impact of Muslim tourists’ attitudes on Halal-friendly characteristics and their intentions to visit countries that are not predominantly Muslim.

To accomplish objectives, a survey was used to gather the data by using a convenient non-probability sampling approach from Muslim-majority countries Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. A proposed structural equation model was used to assess the influence of the variables above on the outcomes.

This study found that the factors of Halal-friendly facilities and Halal-friendly service positively influence the visiting intentions of Indonesian, Malaysian and Brunei Muslim tourists. In contrast, the social environment, food/beverages and local and staff attributes do not influence visit intentions. The tourist attitude mediates the relationship between the intention to visit and three dimensions of Halal-friendly attributes (social environment; food/beverage; and locals and staff).

This study did not investigate different kinds of dimensions for Muslim tourists visiting Thailand, such as preferences regarding personnel and families, cultural and artistic characteristics and the attributes of events and festivals. These dimensions cover a wide range of Halal-friendly tourism aspects. Second, this research did not investigate the associations between the demographics of Muslim tourists (age, gender, education level and income level) and the model variables. Such an investigation could have helped business developers and marketers in Thailand develop an efficient strategy for target marketing. The results of this research provide fundamental guidance and information for tourist enterprises in non-Muslim nations on how to enhance Muslim travellers’ images and intentions. However, because of the influence of other variables, locations in various areas of Asia, Africa and Europe may exhibit somewhat different effective qualities (e.g. environment, culture, history, etc.).

This study sheds light on the factors contributing to visitor satisfaction in the context of a desire to go to a Halal-friendly site. This insight from this study can be adapted and applied by tourism managers and marketing executives to build or develop the Halal-friendly destination image of a tourist destination (Phuket) in the right dimensions. It is a possibility that the image of a tourist attraction has a tight relationship with travelers’ perceived value, contentment and loyalty (Hsu et al., 2008; Khunrattanaporn, 2013; Pike, 2008). Battour et al. (2022) found that Muslims’ behavioural intentions are affected by the Halal attributes of the destination. It indicates that Halal attributes are very important for Muslim tourists when selecting a destination. To attract Muslim tourists, this study can be used for strategies and planning.

This study sheds fresh light on the concept of Halal tourism. It examines the perspective of Muslim tourists using Halal goods or services in anticipation of a future trip to a non-Muslim location (Phuket). This study is crucial for destination tourism operators, managers and marketers who lead Muslim tourists to non-Muslim destinations.

This paper aims to present a theoretical account of the connection between artificial intelligence (AI) enabled technologies and Muslim-friendly tourism experiences (MFTX) using the customer experience (CX) theory, reference group theory and theory of tourism consumption systems.

A model research design is adopted to build a theoretical framework that predicts relationships between constructs. Critical assessment in tourism and AI literature is used to explore AI-enabled technologies in Halal-friendly tourism.

The findings of this paper have conceptualised the CX theory for Muslim travellers satisfying their religious needs in Halal-friendly tourism by suggesting a new construct called the MFTX. It also offered a theoretical model for using AI-enabled technologies to improve the MFTX.

This study provides a new theoretical model for using AI-enabled technologies to improve the MFTX. This paper is also expected to provide suggestions for tourism operators and service providers to cater to Muslim tourists’ needs using AI technologies.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

This study aims to provide a comprehensive and systematic review of halal tourism structure using bibliometric analysis. Halal tourism interest has increased due to the high demand for tourism products adhering to Shariah law. Furthermore, the vast Muslim population has increased the demand for halal tourism products and destination factors in this niche tourism segment.

A network visualization through bibliographic coupling and co-word analysis, this review presents a science mapping analysis to reveal the knowledge structure of emerging and future trends in halal tourism.

The current and emerging trends demonstrate three themes: the fundamentals of halal tourism, communication via word of mouth in halal tourism and Muslim tourist satisfaction and loyalty. At the same time, the co-word analysis presents the four themes primarily associated with halal tourism challenges: tourist satisfaction, service quality and Muslim travellers’ attraction.

The findings serve as crucial implications, contributing to halal and general tourism theory and application.

This review serves as crucial fundamental knowledge for future studies in halal tourism and its relevant themes for further development in tourism management. The most significant emerging theme in halal tourism is the intervention needed to increase Muslim tourist satisfaction and loyalty through halal-friendly service, customer-service quality, foods and beverages, facilities and privacy. The co-word analysis suggests increasing tourists’ engagement in halal tourism by invigorating the religiosity domain among tourists, improving service quality and perceived value and discovering new Muslim-friendly attractions. The most crucial finding from this study is to ensure that halal and Muslim-friendly tourism are at the same level, to the extent of better service according to Islamic practice. This approach would elevate the value and status of halal tourism as a trending product in Muslim and non-Muslim markets.

This study aims to examine the potential influence of Nonfungible Tokens (NFTs) and the Metaverse on the Halal tourism industry, with a particular emphasis on Halal brands and hotel booking platforms. This study also purpose to uncover the opportunities and challenges associated with the adoption of these technologies in the sector.

A qualitative research approach is employed, encompassing a comprehensive literature review of the halal tourism industry, NFTs and the Metaverse. Furthermore, this study utilizes case studies of brands and hotel-booking platforms that have experimented with or integrated these technologies. This study aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the implications of digital technologies in the context of the halal tourism industry.

The study uncovered several opportunities provided by NFTs and the Metaverse for the Halal tourism industry, such as enhanced authentication and traceability of halal products and immersive experiences tailored to Muslim travelers. However, it also identifies challenges including compliance with Islamic principles, data privacy, cybersecurity and equitable access to technology.

While the study has several significant implications, it acknowledges potential limitations related to the nascent nature of NFTs and the Metaverse. Future research should delve deeper into ethical, legal and socioeconomic issues surrounding the application of these technologies in the halal tourism industry.

The findings of this study have practical implications for halal brands, hotel-booking platforms and regulators. This study provides a roadmap for harnessing the transformative power of NFTs and the Metaverse while addressing potential challenges.

This research underlines the necessity for collaboration among industry stakeholders, technology providers and regulators to ensure equitable access and adherence to Islamic principles. This study preserves a more inclusive and ethically compliant use of these technologies, potentially shaping the future of the halal tourism industry.

This study focuses on the intersection of NFTs, the Metaverse and the Halal tourism industry. It provides fresh insights into the transformative potential of these technologies, aiding halal brands and hotel booking platforms in creating distinctive value propositions and experiences.

This study aims to explore the perception among the tourism stakeholders about Halal tourism competitiveness, challenges and opportunities in Aceh, a Sharia-law tourism destination.

This study adopted the qualitative research method and used in-depth interviews with purposively selected 13 Halal tourism stakeholders in Aceh.

This study found that the Indonesian Government has aggressively promoted Aceh as one of its main Halal tourist destinations. Despite its popularity in the growing and lucrative Muslim market, the understanding of Halal tourism in Aceh among its stakeholders is still at its infancy level. Besides, although Aceh is a Muslim-majority region, its Halal facilities and services, especially the Halal certification for their foodservice industry, are still lacking compared to their neighbouring competitors.

This study confirms the scarcity of stakeholder understanding and support challenged and undermined Aceh’s Halal tourism competitiveness. As such, this study sheds light on the original insight that stakeholders’ limited comprehension and backing can hinder Aceh’s Halal tourism competitiveness.

The present research extends the existing literature of halal tourism and Muslims’ travel decision-making by applying information-seeking models and the planned behavior theory to identify the process of decision-making to travel to non-Islamic destinations. This study aims to identify the views of Muslim travelers who traveled before to non-Islamic destinations to evaluate their information search experience and how their travel decision is formed.

Semi-structured interviews are conducted with a sample of Muslim travelers who visited a non-Islamic destination during the past five years. Data saturation resulted in 17 interviewees from different Islamic destinations, namely, Egypt, Morocco, Sudan and Pakistan.

Muslim interviewees indicate the relative importance of reference groups compared to the government websites as a source of information. This study concludes some remarkable results regarding the importance of some halal marketing strategies such as halal searchability and availability, halal certification and appraisal, halal at airports and halal hotels. It presents an emergent framework that shows the factors affecting visiting a non-Islamic destination regarding halal issues for Muslim travelers.

It provides destinations’ official tourism managers with various strategies to brand their destinations as Muslim-friendly destinations.

Investigating the process of decision-making of traveling to non-Islamic destinations from Muslim travelers’ perspective is limited. Examining the role of information-seeking behavior in Muslim travelers’ decision-making is scarce.

This study aims to conduct a synopsis and overview of past research that discussed halal hospitality development and the halal travel market.

An extensive systematic review of 108 articles within the hospitality and tourism domain from 2000 to 2021 that were extracted from the Web of Science and Scopus databases was exhaustively assessed.

The results are visualised to determine the most thematic domains, contexts and concepts previously discussed. It also computed the contribution of journals, authors and affiliations in fostering the mobility of halal tourism studies. The study attempted to chart new directions and insights for future scholars and academics to expand the scope of halal literature in two ways. It articulated the implications and guidance themes emphasised in previous studies and identified new paths to abreast the contemporary issues of the hospitality and tourism industry, including sustainable consumption trends, community development, technology and smart practises, as well as potential threats and challenges such as islamophobia.

In view of the fast growth of halal market studies, the direction and contribution of the previous literature produced limited discussions with certain theoretical concepts. This study advises new pathways in which halal tourism development can respond to contemporary issues in hospitality and tourism.