muslim tourist survey

71 UNDERSTANDING MUSLIM TOURISTS: WHAT, WHY AND HOW DO THEY TRAVEL? – Contributions by Hera Oktadiana

When I studied my PhD at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, my research focus was on hospitality and tourism education. I had several publications regarding that topic. I am still enthusiastic about hospitality and tourism education studies. Yet, my research interest has cultivated into tourist behaviour, particularly that of Muslim tourists. In this chapter, I would like to discuss Muslim tourists.

Many evidence and studies suggest that Muslim tourists have become an important global market (Burton, 2021; Papastathopoulos, Kaminakis, & Mertzanis, 2020). Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism sector, the Muslim travel market is expected to regain in 2023 up to 80% of the 2019 levels (Mastercard-CrescentRating, 2021). The increased number of Muslim tourists have interested many destinations – whether Islamic or non-Islamic destinations (Burton, 2021).

My first article on Muslim tourists was published in 2016 in Tourism Management Perspectives, titled “Muslim travellers’ needs: What don’t we know?” . Philip Pearce (my late husband) and Professor Kaye Chon (my PhD supervisor) co-authored the paper. The study was based on my own experiences as a Muslim travelling and living in various countries. I would like to give insights on the needs of Muslim tourists when taking a trip or holiday beyond the core needs and core services (i.e. Halal food, Halal compliant accommodation, prayer facilities). Such facets are critical for Muslim tourists. Nevertheless, there are other important factors that need to be considered. The Global Muslim Travel Index model indicated four key criteria – services, environment, communications, and access – to enable destinations to attract Muslim travellers (Mastercard-CrescentRating, 2021). In this paper, we catalogued Muslim tourists’ needs using the Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM) theory against CMM’s five elements. They include culture, verbal and non-verbal behaviour, episodes, life scripting, and relationship.

The study by Oktadiana, Pearce, and Chon (2016) revealed that episodes (e.g. Halal food, no-alcohol consumption, Halal hotels or Muslim friendly accommodation, Halal tours, Muslim friendly airports, prayer facilities) were commonly discussed in various medias including academic papers and tourism websites. Issues of culture, verbal and non-verbal behaviour, relationships, and life-scripting were relatively overlooked in both the academic and the wider tourism literature. Understanding the lifestyle, customs, and traditions of the Muslims at a Muslim destination can be valuable for the visitors from non-Muslim countries as well as those from Muslim countries, so they can be more culturally mindful. It is to note that Muslims’ social culture is diverse. For example, Muslims from the Southeast Asia region can have different habits and customs to those from Middle East.

The next study on Muslim tourists, “Travel career patterns: The motivation of Indonesian and Malaysian Muslim tourists” , was issued in Tourism, Culture & Communication in 2017, followed by a book chapter in an edited book on Asian cultures and contemporary tourism: Perspectives on Asian Tourism in 2018. This chapter is entitled “Motivated Muslims: Exploring travel career patterns among Indonesian tourists” . In the former, I did my work together with Philip and my two friends; Arif Pusiran of University Sabah Malaysia and Manisha Agarwal of James Cook University Singapore. The idea behind the study was to seek the leisure travel motivational patterns of Muslim tourists in two Southeast Asia Muslim countries – Indonesia and Malaysia – and then to compare them with the Western tourists. Pearce’s (2005) Travel Career Pattern theory was applied to examine the Muslim tourists’ travel motivations.

Oktadiana, Pearce, Pusiran, and Agarwal (2017) discovered that nature and novelty were viewed essential for both Western tourists and the Muslim tourists to a different degree. The Western tourists considered novelty as the most important motivation to travel, followed by escape/relax and nature. Whereas, strengthening relationships was perceived as the top motivational factor in travelling for the Muslim tourists. The next critical facet was the nature factor which incorporated with cultural and social forces. The other top factor for the Muslim tourists was novelty.

In 2020, I published three studies about Muslim tourists: 1) female millennial Muslims, 2) Muslims’ queries when travelling, and 3) special dietary requirements. The article titled “Let’s travel: Voices from the millennial female Muslim travellers” was awarded the Wiley’s top cited article 2020-2021 in the International Journal of Tourism Research. In this study, Oktadiana, Pearce, and Li (2020) assessed the content of the millennial female Muslim tourists’ travel blogs using Critical Media Discourse Analysis (CMDA). The study was aimed to “understand how travel is presented in the media by an influential set of younger female Muslims, to review the ways Muslim travel stories have evolved, and to explore the influence and purpose of the women’s travel stories and their values in the broader social context” (Oktadiana et al, 2020, p. 1).

The textual analysis of CMDA showed the rise in the millennial female Muslims travelling. These female Muslims acted as actors and producers who shared their travelling experiences as Muslims through their travel blogs. Their stories began to emerge in 2013. They provided vital information about the needs of Muslims and what the Muslims need to know when travelling. The CMDA’s contextual analysis indicated the evolutionary changes in the stories, starting with common travel information, to more specific needs and experiences such as travelling during the month of fasting or Ramadan. Moreover, within the social context, these female Muslims served as ambassadors of Islam and influencers to change people’s perspectives toward Islam and Muslim stereotyping. They also played significant roles in influencing businesses concerning Halal products and services. Their stories correspond well with Rodrigo and Turnbull’s (2019) study on the Muslim tourists’ perceived value (social value, functional value, emotional value, conditional value, epistemic value, and Islamic value). Such value underpins the information seeking process of Muslim tourists prior to taking a trip.

Just like other tourists, Muslim travellers generally seek information regarding accommodation, food and beverage, transportation, destination safety and attractions, and itineraries and excursions. However, they also look for specific information such as Halal food, Halal restaurants, Muslim friendly hotels, travel distance to mosques and Halal restaurants, safety for Muslim women wearing hijab, solo travel, safety from discrimination and assaults, places for prayers, Muslim friendly destinations, Muslim friendly tours, and tours for solo travellers (Oktadiana, 2020).

The need for Halal food for Muslim tourists has been widely recognised. One morning, my late husband Philip (who converted to Islam) and I had a talk about religious dietary needs while having breakfast at the front yard of our house. When we travelled overseas, we often needed to ensure that the foods were Halal when eating out in restaurants. We had to ask the restaurant staff or look for the Halal certification. It was easy when we travelled to Muslim countries or Muslim-friendly destinations. Based on our conversation, we decided to write an article regarding restaurants’ menus that inform religious beliefs, lifestyles, and allergies. The article is titled “ Special dietary requirements: Restaurant sector responses across six tourist cities” . We examined 60 restaurants in Bali, Singapore, Sydney, Paris, Dubai and Doha to represent Asia, Western, and Middle East regions. Analysis of the findings considered Shove, Pantzar, and Watson’s (2012) social practice theory as exemplified in materiality (menu as tangible manifestation of food information and restaurant policy), perceived competence, and meaning (image/identity). The study revealed the necessity of tourism and hospitality businesses to understand the variety of the dietary restrictions phenomenon (i.e. lifestyle choice, religious belief, and allergy). Thus, these special needs can be met to satisfy tourists visiting a destination, which then led to the enhancement of a destination image (Oktadiana, Pearce, Mohammadi, 2020). I received an award from the Indonesia’s Ministry of Research and Technology in 2020 for this paper as a high-quality research paper. I wish Philip could celebrate the achievement together with me. But I know that he would be very happy from way up there.

To conclude, there are still many factors beyond the basic core needs and services that need more attention to better understand Muslim tourists and their special faith-based needs. The fast growth of this emerging market requires the development of Muslim-friendly service touchpoints in the destinations that are interested in capturing this group of tourists. Figure 1 shows the “what, why and how about the Muslim tourists in travel” based on the studies presented in this chapter.

Written by Hera Oktadiana, James Cook University, Australia & Trisakti School of Tourism, Indonesia Read Hera’s letter to future generations of tourism researchers

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While cross-cultural studies on travellers from different contexts have burgeoned in recent decades, analysis of tourists from similar cultural environments has been scarce. This is particularly true for the two strands of research investigating tourist and customer behaviour of Muslim and non-Muslim people travelling to Muslim countries. Studies on Muslim and non-Muslim travellers exist in parallel but rarely have points of contact, since each highlights its distinctiveness. This investigation aims at overcoming undifferentiated views and modes of enquiry by analysing experiences of Muslim and non-Muslim women migrants from the former Soviet Union who currently reside in two different geographical regions – Western Europe and the Middle East. Whether tourism practices of individuals show similarities or differences is one of the key questions of this research. Based on a standardised online survey, the study analyses the preferences, experiences and practices of Russian-speaking women, related to travel, accommodation and social interactions. It finds different travellers’ profiles and connects these with different cultural values of holidays and destinations. At the same time, similarities in travel patterns and social interactions of Muslim and non-Muslim women are discernible, whereas variance in their accommodation preferences can be attributed to religious affiliation. One of the implications of the study is the suggestion for a more differentiated approach in cross-cultural comparisons in hospitality and tourism research.

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Gewinner, I. (2021). Women in Tourism in Muslim Contexts: The Impact of Cultural Background on Customer Behaviour. In: Slak Valek, N., Almuhrzi, H. (eds) Women in Tourism in Asian Muslim Countries. Perspectives on Asian Tourism. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4757-1_10

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Understanding Muslim Customer Satisfaction with Halal Destinations: The Effects of Traditional and Islamic Values

Only limited research has examined the role of religion in a tourism context. This study examines the moderating role of religion in the relationships between value and customer satisfaction. This paper poses the question: Does religiosity moderate the relationships among traditional value, Islamic value and customer satisfaction with the halal destination? The study aims to test empirically the effect of traditional value and Islamic religious value on customers’ satisfaction with a halal destination. Moreover, the study also analyses the moderating role of religiosity in the relationship between Islamic value and customers’ satisfaction with a halal destination. A total of 295 questionnaires consisting of 40 items was distributed to Muslim tourists on-line through survey sites and off-line at Lombok Island. Lombok was employed because it was chosen as the Best Halal Tourist Destination and the Best Halal Honeymoon Destination during the World Halal Travel Awards 2015 held in Abu Dhabi. The direct relationships and moderation effects of religiosity were assessed using structural equation modeling with AMOS 18.0. The results clearly indicated that it is only traditional value which significantly and directly influences customers’ satisfaction with a halal destination while Islamic value has no significant influence on customers’ satisfaction. Islamic value, specifically non-physical Islamic attributes, significantly influences customers’ satisfaction only under the moderation of religiosity. Thus, destination marketers should deliver highly traditional value to create high customer satisfaction with halal destinations. Marketers should also consider non-physical Islamic attributes such as segregation of service delivery when they target consumers with high religiosity to attract more Muslim tourists. Keywords: Traditional value Islamic value Satisfaction

Introduction

Cultural factors which consist of culture, subculture, and social class significantly influence consumption and shopping behavior ( Chang, 2005 ). Religion as part of the subculture also has an influence on the personal and social behavior of human beings ( Alam & Hisham, 2011 ). Unfortunately, there is a dearth of research which assesses the impact of religion on consumer behavior as religion is considered to cover a small portion of cultural aspect ( Alam & Hisham, 2011 ). In contrast, religion in the Islamic perspective is not considered part of a culture but a way of life ( Khraim, 2010 ). Thus, religion shapes Muslim behavior including their consumption behavior ( Alam & Hisham, 2011 ). Muslims who have a high level of religiosity evaluate everything within a religious framework and integrate this religious framework into their everyday lives ( Mokhlis, 2006 ).

Religiosity which refers to one's belief in God and commitment to act in accordance with the rules set forth by God ( McDaniel & Burnett, 1990 ), is also proven to have significant influence on Muslim consumer decision making with regard to the consumption of halal tourism ( Eid & El-Gohary, 2015 ; Shakona et al., 2015 ). Halal tourism, a type of tourism that observes the precepts of Islam, is becoming popular all over the world, especially among Muslim consumers ( Mohsin, Ramli, & Alkhulayfi, 2015 ). Some countries and many tourist operators have targeted Muslim consumers and families by providing halal tourism services which conform to Islamic etiquette, mannerisms, rules and regulations regarding conduct, dress, food and prayer ( Zamani-Farahani & Henderson, 2010 ). In 2013, the Muslim community spent about US$137 billion on tourism, a figure that is expected to reach $181 billion by 2018 ( State of the Global Islamic Economy Report, 2013 ).

The value perceived by a consumer is important in any consumption service ( McDougall & Levesque, 2000 ). In conventional tourism, traditional value influences customer satisfaction ( Williams & Soutar, 2009 ). There is a dearth of research which empirically investigates the relationships among value, satisfaction and behavioural intentions in the context of tourism ( Baker & Crompton, 2000 ). As discussed earlier, the religious value significantly influences Muslim consumer behavior ( Alam & Hisham, 2011 ). Therefore, Muslim customer satisfaction is significantly influenced not only by traditional value but also by Islamic value and religiosity. In previous studies, the impact of religious value as a dimension of perceived value and religiosity has rarely been measured ( Eid & El-Gohary, 2015 ). Thus, it is important for scholars to simultaneously examine the influence of religious and traditional value on Muslim consumer satisfaction in the halal tourism industry.

Problem Statement

Muslims perceive Islam as something more than just a religion; it is a way of life ( Mustafar & Borhan, 2013 ). Therefore, Islam shapes Muslim behavior including their consumption behavior ( Alam & Hisham, 2011 ). Eid & El-Gohary ( 2015 ) even found that Islamic value also significantly influencs Muslim consumer decision making with regard to the consumption of halal tourism. Currently, very little research has examined halal tourism ( Reisinger, Nassar, & Mostafa, 2015 ), specifically the influence of religious value and religiosity on tourist customer satisfaction ( Eid & El-Gohary, 2015 ). As the largest Muslim country in the world with a population of 218.68 million, or 10.51% of the world population in 2014 ( World Muslim Population, 2016 ), Indonesia has a great potential as a tourist destination. One tourist destination in Indonesia, Lombok Island, was named the World's Best Halal Tourism Destination and World's Best Halal Honeymoon Destination in the halal arena of the World Travel Awards 2015 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates ( Nugrahani, 2015 ). However, it is worth noting that all consumers, including Muslims, also assess any product and services based on its value ( McDougall & Levesque, 2000 ). Thus, the current study will examine the influence of perceived value, not only traditional value but also Islamic value, on Muslim tourist satisfaction. In addition, the study will examine the moderating role of religiosity in tourist satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study

The study aims to test empirically the effect of traditional value and Islamic religious value on customers’ satisfaction with a halal destination. Moreover, the study also analyses the moderating role of religiosity in the relationship between Islamic value and customers’ satisfaction with a halal destination.

Research Question

The study questions whether there is an effect of traditional value, and Islamic value on customer satisfaction with the halal destination. Furthermore, the study also questions whether religiosity plays a moderating role on the two relationships; first, in moderating the relationship between traditional value and satisfaction; second, in moderating the relationship between Islamic values and satisfaction.

Literature Review and Hypotheses Development

5.1 Traditional value

5.1.1 Quality value

Perceived value is defined as a “consumer’s overall assessment of the utility of a product (or service) based on perceptions of what is received and what is given” ( Zeithaml, 1988, p. 14 ). From the conventional perspective, perceived value consists of quality value, price value, emotional value and social value ( Sweeney & Soutar, 2001 ).

Quality value is a dimension of perceived value that refers to the utility value that comes from the perceived quality and expected performance of the product ( Sweeney & Soutar, 2001 ). Based on consumer perception, quality is a subjective, abstract, global assessment which is usually made in the consideration set of consumers ( Zeithaml, 1988 ). Perceived quality differs from objective quality because it is a subjective response to an object. Thus, marketers should understand how consumers form an impression of quality regarding a service or product ( Zeithaml, 1988 ) because the quality of a service positively affects customer satisfaction, which in turn positively influences behavioural intention ( Cronin, Brady, & Hult, 2000 ). One study conducted in Taiwan found that experienced quality positively influences tourist satisfaction ( Chen & Chen, 2010 ). Another study on cruise passenger behavioural intention showed that quality is the best predictor of tourist behavioural intention ( Petrick, 2004 ). In the context of halal tourism, studies conducted on Muslim tourists from various countries have found a significant influence of quality value on customer satisfaction ( Eid, 2015 ; Eid & El-Gohary, 2015 ). Based on the above discussion, the following hypothesis is developed:

H1: Quality value positively and significantly influences customer satisfaction.

5.1.2 Value of money

The second dimension of perceived value is price value, or the value of money ( Sweeney & Soutar, 2001 ). Price value refers to being good for the price paid ( Williams & Soutar, 2009 ). In the context of online retailing, the value of money together with efficiency and functional value contribute to customer satisfaction ( Mathwick, Malhotra, & Rigdon, 2001 ). Many scholars have examined value for money as a factor related to tourist satisfaction and tourist loyalty ( Kozak & Rimmington, 2000 ; Prebensen, Kim, & Uysal, 2015 ; Sanchez, Callarisa, Rodriguez, & Moliner, 2006 ; Williams & Soutar, 2009 ). In the context of halal tourism, tourists see price subjectively and consider its value as a key variable that influences their choice (Eid & El-Gohary, 2014). Thus, the following hypothesis is developed:

H2: The value of money positively and significantly influences customer satisfaction.

5.1.3 Emotional value

Another dimension of perceived value is emotional value ( Sweeney & Soutar, 2001 ). Emotional value refers to a social-psychological dimension that relies on a product’s capability to stimulate an emotional state or affective condition ( Sheth, Newman, & Gross, 1991 ). In the context of tourism, emotional value is empirically related to tourist satisfaction ( Prebensen et al., 2015 ; Williams & Soutar, 2009 ). For Muslim tourists, emotional value also influences their satisfaction as tourists ( Eid, 2015 ). The theories discussed above lead to the following hypothesis:

H3: Emotional value positively and significantly influences customer satisfaction

5.1.4 Social value

The fourth dimension of perceived value is social value ( Sweeney & Soutar, 2001 ). Social value refers to the utility gained from a product's ability to enhance the self-concept of a social consumer ( Sweeney & Soutar, 2001 ). Many studies have found that social value significantly influences customer satisfaction in the tourism industry ( Gallarza & Saura, 2006 ; Prebensen et al., 2015 ); therefore:

H4: Social value positively and significantly influences customer satisfaction.

5.2 Islamic value

5.2.1 Islamic physical attributes

The halal (or permissible in Islam) perspective not only refers to food and beverages but also applies to all facets of life ( Mohsin et al., 2015 ). In the consumption of tourism services, Muslims also consider the halal-ness of the services based on Islamic value ( Eid, 2015 ; Eid & El-Gohary, 2015 ). In the context of consumption, Islamic value dimensions refer to the attributes that have relevance or comply with the rules of Sharia or religious identity ( Eid & El-Gohary, 2015 ). This Islamic value becomes an additional factor apart from cognitive and affective factors that contributes to the creation of value.

According to Eid and El-Gohary ( 2015 ), Islamic value consists of two dimensions: Islamic physical attributes and Islamic non-physical attributes. The religious elements of Islamic physical attributes and Islamic non-physical attributes may affect consumer satisfaction, especially among Muslims ( Eid & El-Gohary, 2015 ). Islamic physical attributes are all Islamic attributes that can be seen and touched, such as the availability of places of worship, the availability of the Qur'an in a hotel room and toilets which comply with the rules of Sharia. Therefore:

H5: Islamic physical attributes positively and significantly influence customer satisfaction.

5.2.2 Islamic non-physical attributes

Islamic non-physical attributes refer to all attributes that can be viewed but not necessarily touched directly ( Eid & El-Gohary, 2015 ). An example of Islamic non-physical attributes is the availability of television programmes in accordance with Islamic value ( Eid & El-Gohary, 2015 ). Therefore:

H6: Islamic non-physical attributes positively and significantly influence customer satisfaction.

5.3 Religiosity

Religion plays a significant role in the lives of many people ( Delener, 1990 ). In tourism services, religiosity also influences the satisfaction of consumers, especially adherents of Islam ( Eid & El-Gohary, 2015 ). The level of religiosity influences the degree of compliance with the rules of Sharia; some Muslims who have low religiosity do not care whether physical attributes and non-physical attributes are in accordance with Islamic value ( Eid, 2015 ; Eid & El-Gohary, 2015 ). For religious Muslims, the separation of service facilities between men and women and accommodations that do not violate Sharia rules are very important while for non-religious Muslims the separation of facilities is not important ( Eid &El-Gohary, 2015 ). Therefore:

H7: Islamic religiosity significantly moderates the relationship between Islamic physical attributes and customer satisfaction.

H8: Islamic religiosity significantly moderates the relationship between Islamic physical attributes and customer satisfaction.

Research Method

This study replicated the model used in previous studies conducted by Eid and El-Gohary (2014). Purposive sampling was employed to enable the researchers to focus on the characteristics of a Muslims tourist that are of interest so that the research questions. The minimum sample size was determined based on the theory of Hair, Sarstedt, Ringle, & Mena ( 2012 ) that states the minimum number of samples required for an analysis using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is the number of items in a questionnaire multiplied by 5. A total of 295 questionnaires measuring quality value, price value, emotional value, social value, Islamic physical attributes and Islamic non-physical attribute as independent variables; customer satisfaction as the dependent variable; and religiosity comprising Islamic belief and Islamic practice as moderating variable was distributed to Muslim tourists on-line through survey sites and off-line in Lombok Island. Lombok was selected because it was named Best Halal Tourist Destination and Best Halal Honeymoon Destination during the World Halal Travel Awards 2015 held in Abu Dhabi. The data were analysed using structural equation modeling with AMOS 18.0. Moderation effects of religiosity were also assessed using structural equation modeling.

Based on the structural equation modelling analysis shown in figure 1 .1, one can conclude that all the traditional value dimensions (quality value, value of money, emotional value and social value) directly influence Muslims customers’ satisfaction.

Thus, the first hypothesis of the study is accepted. The result of the current study supported many other studies conducted in both the Muslim ( Eid, 2015 ; Eid & El-Gohary, 2015 ) and non-Muslim research context ( Gallarza & Saura, 2006 ; He, Yan, Jin, & Yang, 2014 ). The quality value plays an important role in tourist satisfaction because value is considered the starting point in the formation of attitudes for consumers (tourists) who travel ( He et al., 2014 ).

The second hypothesis, which tests the positive influence of value of money on satisfaction, is also supported. Therefore, based on research conducted by Eid and El-Gohary ( 2015 ), one can say that a positive consumer assessment of the efficiency of money can be used to positively increase the satisfaction gained by consumers where price is a key variable in choice.

Testing of the third hypothesis showed that emotional value positively and significantly influences customer satisfaction. Therefore, the data support the research conducted by Eid and El-Gohary ( 2015 ) in the halal tourism context.

The fourth hypothesis, testing the influence of social value on Muslim tourist customer satisfaction, is also supported. Therefore, the data also support the research conducted by Eid and El-Gohary ( 2015 ).

In contrast, Islamic value, which consists of Islamic physical attributes and Islamic non-physical attributes, does not significantly influence Muslims’ customer satisfaction, leading to the rejection of the fifth and sixth hypotheses. Evaluation of the role of value of a tourism object cannot be separated from the level of importance of Sharia in the life of the society ( Jafari & Scott, 2014 ). Reisinger et al. ( 2015 ) initially hypothesised that the presence or absence of Islamic facilities has considerable influence in consumers’ evaluations, but the results showed no significant effect. Islamic facilities are quite often found in various areas in Islamic countries and are not major considerations for the Indonesian people because such facilities are considered to be provided everywhere; they are not considered extra facilities ( Reisinger et al., 2015 ). In addition, Islam provides relaxed rules for travellers so that when Muslim consumers travel their duty to worship is a bit loosened; for example, in this context, Muslims can perform two prayer obligations at one time, earlier or later; they can also delay or postpone fasting in the month of Ramadan ( Eid & El-Gohary, 2015 ).

The previous argument also provides a rationale for rejection of the seventh hypothesis: the absence of influence from religiosity in moderating the relationship between these two variables can be caused by the ready availability of Islamic facilities, which makes people feel at home ( Ryan, 2015 ). Therefore, religiosity is not an important concern for those with either a high or low level of religiosity.

However, the results of testing the eighth hypothesis show that Islamic non-physical attributes significantly influence Muslims’ customer satisfaction after the level of religiosity is taken into account. To some extent, the results support the argument that the intensity of a person’s religiosity exerts an influence on the assessment when a trip has been completed, including recommendations for existing facilities at these sites even for non-physical attributes ( Shinde, 2015 ). Consumers with a high level of religiosity will prioritise Islamic non-physical attributes, which will affect their assessments of these factors versus non-Islamic factors ( Eid & El-Gohary, 2015 ).

This study concludes that, among Muslims, the traditional values of quality value, value of money, emotional value and social value are considered important influences on the formation of customer satisfaction. In contrast, the influence of Islamic value, especially Islamic non-physical attributes, on Muslim tourists’ customer satisfaction is moderately influenced by the religiosity level of the Muslim tourists.

Acknowledgement

This work has been funded by the PITTA Grant to the Directorate of Research and Community Services at the Universitas Indonesia.

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Putra, E. H., Hati, S. R. H., & Daryanti, S. (2016). Understanding Muslim Customer Satisfaction with Halal Destinations: The Effects of Traditional and Islamic Values. In R. X. Thambusamy, M. Y. Minas, & Z. Bekirogullari (Eds.), Business & Economics - BE-ci 2016, vol 17. European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences (pp. 167-175). Future Academy. https://doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2016.11.02.16

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Antecedents of Muslim tourist loyalty: The role of Islamic religiosity and tourist value co-creation

Center for Halal Industry Digitalization (CHID)
Center of Islamic Social Finance Intelligence
Sharia Economics
Department of Sharia Economics
Faculty of Economics and Business

Research output : Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

This research investigates the antecedents of tourist loyalty in the Muslim-friendly tourism context. It examines the link between Islamic tourism destination attributes, service quality, customer engagement, value co-creation, and loyalty. It also highlights the moderating roles of Islamic religiosity. This study is survey research using a questionnaire to 450 Muslim tourists as the respondents. The data were collected using purposive sampling as the sampling method. After several preliminary tests, this study only used 375 usable responses in the analysis. It employed Structural Equation Model (SEM) with AMOS 24 as the software data analysis package. This study revealed that Islamic tourism destination attributes have significant impacts on service quality, customer engagement, and tourist loyalty. It found that service quality and tourist engagement are the antecedents of tourist value co-creation. Value co-creation also has a significant influence on tourist loyalty. Surprisingly, it also highlighted significant moderating impacts of religiosity. This research only focused on the Indonesian context; hence, the findings have limited generalization. Therefore, it may extend to other Muslim or non-Muslim countries which concern with Muslim-friendly tourism. Tourist loyalty has several antecedents which are not addressed in this study. Thus, future studies may address other influence factors, such as tourist sociocultural and psychological factors which relate to tourist loyalty. Finally, the managers have to concern with the tourist religiosity in providing their products or services.

Islamic tourism destination attributes
religiosity
responsible consumption
service quality
tourist engagement
tourist loyalty
tourist value co-creation

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10.1080/23311975.2023.2247871

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Value Co-creation Business & Economics 100%
Muslims Business & Economics 93%
Religiosity Business & Economics 81%
Tourists Business & Economics 81%
Loyalty Business & Economics 74%
Customer Engagement Business & Economics 21%
Service Quality Business & Economics 20%
Tourism Destination Business & Economics 17%

T1 - Antecedents of Muslim tourist loyalty

T2 - The role of Islamic religiosity and tourist value co-creation

AU - Abror, Abror

AU - Patrisia, Dina

AU - Engriani, Yunita

AU - Wardi, Yunia

AU - Hamid, Rahmad Solling

AU - Najib, Mukhamad

AU - Anuar, Marhana Mohamed

AU - Battour, Mohamed

AU - Ratnasari, Ririn Tri

N2 - This research investigates the antecedents of tourist loyalty in the Muslim-friendly tourism context. It examines the link between Islamic tourism destination attributes, service quality, customer engagement, value co-creation, and loyalty. It also highlights the moderating roles of Islamic religiosity. This study is survey research using a questionnaire to 450 Muslim tourists as the respondents. The data were collected using purposive sampling as the sampling method. After several preliminary tests, this study only used 375 usable responses in the analysis. It employed Structural Equation Model (SEM) with AMOS 24 as the software data analysis package. This study revealed that Islamic tourism destination attributes have significant impacts on service quality, customer engagement, and tourist loyalty. It found that service quality and tourist engagement are the antecedents of tourist value co-creation. Value co-creation also has a significant influence on tourist loyalty. Surprisingly, it also highlighted significant moderating impacts of religiosity. This research only focused on the Indonesian context; hence, the findings have limited generalization. Therefore, it may extend to other Muslim or non-Muslim countries which concern with Muslim-friendly tourism. Tourist loyalty has several antecedents which are not addressed in this study. Thus, future studies may address other influence factors, such as tourist sociocultural and psychological factors which relate to tourist loyalty. Finally, the managers have to concern with the tourist religiosity in providing their products or services.

AB - This research investigates the antecedents of tourist loyalty in the Muslim-friendly tourism context. It examines the link between Islamic tourism destination attributes, service quality, customer engagement, value co-creation, and loyalty. It also highlights the moderating roles of Islamic religiosity. This study is survey research using a questionnaire to 450 Muslim tourists as the respondents. The data were collected using purposive sampling as the sampling method. After several preliminary tests, this study only used 375 usable responses in the analysis. It employed Structural Equation Model (SEM) with AMOS 24 as the software data analysis package. This study revealed that Islamic tourism destination attributes have significant impacts on service quality, customer engagement, and tourist loyalty. It found that service quality and tourist engagement are the antecedents of tourist value co-creation. Value co-creation also has a significant influence on tourist loyalty. Surprisingly, it also highlighted significant moderating impacts of religiosity. This research only focused on the Indonesian context; hence, the findings have limited generalization. Therefore, it may extend to other Muslim or non-Muslim countries which concern with Muslim-friendly tourism. Tourist loyalty has several antecedents which are not addressed in this study. Thus, future studies may address other influence factors, such as tourist sociocultural and psychological factors which relate to tourist loyalty. Finally, the managers have to concern with the tourist religiosity in providing their products or services.

KW - Islamic tourism destination attributes

KW - religiosity

KW - responsible consumption

KW - service quality

KW - tourist engagement

KW - tourist loyalty

KW - tourist value co-creation

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85168510387&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/23311975.2023.2247871

DO - 10.1080/23311975.2023.2247871

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85168510387

SN - 2331-1975

JO - Cogent Business and Management

JF - Cogent Business and Management

M1 - 2247871

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Malaysia ranks first again in global Muslim travel index despite pandemic

15 Jul 2021

Malaysia has maintained its position as the best destination for Muslim travellers even amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The country once again came first in the list of best Muslim-friendly holiday destinations, according to the MasterCard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2021. Malaysia has remained in the top destination since the launch of the index in 2015. The GMTI monitors the overall performance of the Muslim travel market.

Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said Malaysia is committed to continue developing the Muslim-friendly travel segment, sometimes referred to as halal travel. “We have developed Malaysia to be a Muslim-friendly tourism and hospitality destination, offering unique and meaningful experiences,” she said during her keynote speech at the Halal In Travel Global Summit 2021. Nancy added that Malaysia is a place where Muslim travellers will feel comfortable in as the country caters to their basic faith needs. “Malaysia, being a Muslim majority country offers many eateries that are certified halal, and feature many tourism related activities that does not contradict with Islamic principles. “This has contributed towards making Malaysia being recognised as the top Muslim friendly destination,” she said. Nancy also highlighted the contributions of the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC), an agency under the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry in charge of Islamic tourism-related affairs, towards the recognition. Keeping travel halal amid pandemic The GMTI 2021 ranked 140 destinations that account for more than 95% of Muslim visitor arrivals. Malaysia is followed by Turkey and Saudi Arabia in second and third place respectively. Indonesia and United Arab Emirates rounded off the top five destinations. Meanwhile, Singapore remains the only non-OIC destination in the top 20 GMTI 2021 ranking. CrescentRating founder and chief executive officer Fazal Bahardeen said GMTI 2021 will help the destinations prepare post-pandemic tourism recovery. “The pandemic has had a colossal impact on the travel sector. Muslim (tourist) arrivals dropped to 42 million in 2020 from an all-time high of an estimated 160 million in 2019. “As we start this recovery journey, we project that the Muslim travel market will return to the 2019 levels by 2023,” he said. According to Fazal, the latest index took into consideration the evolving concept of travel bubbles and corridors.

Contactless travel The GMTI 2021 also noted some shift in travel preferences due to the pandemic. One such change is the rise of “contactless travel”. It’s a trend that is here to stay moving forward in a post-pandemic environment, said Mastercard division president (Southeast Asia Emerging Markets) Safdar Khan. “The pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation of the airline industry. Developing a digital-first, low-touch, contactless customer experience will be a pivotal driver in the travel industry’s recovery roadmap,” he said. According to the Mastercard New Payments Index, 94% of consumers in Asia Pacific will consider using at least one new payment method, such as QR codes, digital or mobile wallets, cryptocurrencies, biometrics, and others in the coming year. Safdar said digital payments will be instrumental in helping the travel industry recover once restrictions are lifted. “Asia Pacific is renowned for its popularity with Muslim travelers. As the world begins to open again, understanding how best to meet the needs of this important demographic will be crucial to ensuring that the travel sector’s recovery is both sustainable and inclusive,” he said.

Source: The Star

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The Customer’s Perception towards Shariah-Compliant Hotel in Malaysia

Malaysia has been chosen as the world's leading destination for Muslim tourists for 3 consecutive years in recent surveys conducted by the Singapore Crescent Assessment and the United States Dinar Standard. Selangor received the highest number of tourist in 2017 while Melaka has received an acknowledgement as the must-visit city 2017 by TripAdvisor. With diverse halal food, Islamic prayer facilities and attractions, Malaysia perfectly meets the needs of Muslim tourists. The provision of Islamic hospitality develops the Shariah-Compliant hotel standards. Yet, a good understanding of tourism cannot be established without a good understanding about religion, practices and its impacts to the tourists and providers.Due to the necessity, this research calls to examine the relationship between the customer’s attributes and customer’s perceptions towards Shariah-Compliant hotels practice in Malaysia. Using a simple random sampling technique, a total of 200 online survey questionnaires w...

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Rosmawati Mohamad Rasit

Statistics issued by the Islamic Tourism Centre (2015) shows that in Malaysia, there are more than 2.835 million hotels which provide services for tourists, both domestic and from abroad. Hence, Malaysia has the potential to highlight hospitality products which may better attract more tourists to visit Malaysia. However, provision of shariah-compliant hotel services is still inadequate to facilitate Muslim tourists. This is due to the inseparability of hotel services from gambling activity and opening of casinos. Likewise with the issue of halal food which is also called into question. Thus, the purpose of this research is to study the provision of shariah-compliant hotel services to tap the potential of increased Muslim tourism and also to determine the difference in level of services between genders. This research uses survey study method and data is collected through distribution of questionnaire. 72 respondents among hospitality staff are selected as respondents using purposive sampling method. Data is analysed using descriptive statistics and also Mann Whitney U test. Research results find that there are three aspects of providing shariah-compliant hotel services which should be emphasized, which are; the aspect of halal food preparation, the Islamic physical design of the hotel and Islamic modest dressing of hospitality staff. Research results also finds that there is no difference in level of hotel services between the genders.

International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences

Hamimi Omar

DR. LENNORA PUTIT

Dr. Ahmad AlBattat

Malaysia has been leading the way in the halal tourism and halal hotel industry. As a Muslim country and popular Muslim tourist destination, it has been successful in trying to attract Muslim tourists from all over the world to come here every year. The proposed study research has been selected to identify the service quality of Shariah Compliant Hotel on Muslim customers around Shah Alam. The purpose of this research is to understand the practice of Shariah Compliant Hotels in Malaysia and their service quality towards Muslim customers. With the high satisfaction and guest experienced gained in the Shariah Compliant Hotel, it can contribute to the success factor of the Hotel. As a result, majority of the respondents were agree and satisfy by the service given in the selected Shariah compliant hotel. The Muslim customers also satisfy with the facilities given and satisfied with the food & beverage department where they feel safe and comfortable to have their Halal meals. Moreover, the findings also indicate that Shariah Compliant hotels may have broader appeal beyond religion and also contributes to Malaysia's positioning as a tourism destination and a hub for global halal market. Therefore, the research study as successfully completed. The result obtained will be able to contribute to the related file and hotel industries besides for the educational references for the future.

Zubair Hassan

The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that influence Muslim Tourist preference towards a Halal Concept Hotels in, particularly Malaysia. Based on the review of past literature we found that there is very limited empirical research done to examine the factors that affects the choice of Muslim Tourists decision to stay in Halal Concept Hotel. Numerous researches based on Islamic tourism, Shariah Compliant Hotels or Tourism was examined to identify the factors that influence Muslim Tourist preference and how it influences their satisfaction. Based on the literature we found six variables that influence directly Muslim Tourists preference of Halal Concept Hotels. These include availability and easy access to Halal Food, Prayer facilities in the room and access to Masjids (mosques), Prohibition of behaviours that violates General Islamic Moral behaviour, Muslim friendly tour packages-which considers festive seasons, Religious affiliated sites and Religious devotedness towards Islam. Past literature shows that these factors have direct or indirect influence on Muslims Tourist Satisfaction. Also we concluded that selection and satisfaction of staying in Halal Concept Hotel might be moderated by Religious devotedness of Muslim Tourist. Therefore a survey must be conducted to collect Muslim Tourist perception on these factors to establish the generated hypotheses. To do this a minimum of 500 Muslims tourists from Islam dominant countries will ebb selected using Quota sampling. Key words: Islamic Tourism, Halal hotel, Satisfaction, and Religious devotedness

Yusniza Kamarulzaman

Saiful Azri Zolkifli

Journal of Emerging Economies and Islamic Research

Mazzini Muda

An increasing demand for Islamic tourism has driven the concept of a ‘Halal’ (or permissible) friendly hotel into another level of business insight within the consumers’ travel market. The concept via its unique value proposition has rapidly become very attractive not only to Muslim tourists, but also to non-Muslim tourists globally. This study aims to examine the relationship linking ‘Halal’ friendly hotel attributes and customer satisfaction. Using purposive sampling, a total of 410 survey questionnaires were distributed to targeted respondents with only 323 usable feedbacks and used for data analysis. Regression results revealed that four main “Halal-friendly hotel” attributes have significant relationships with customer satisfaction. These include prayer facilities, Halal food, Islamic dress code and general Islamic morality. Of these four attributes, prayer facilities proved to have the most significant impact on customer satisfaction. Findings and managerial implications were ...

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PH-Brunei accords on seafarers, ‘Muslim-friendly tourism’ signed

SULTAN’S GUESTS President Marcos and first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos are given arrival honors on Tuesday by their hosts, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Queen Saleha of Brunei, as Marcos began his two-day state visit. The President was in Brunei in January to attend the wedding of Bolkiah’s son, Prince Abdul Mateen. —Malacañang photo

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei — Following bilateral talks with the Sultan of Brunei on Tuesday morning, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. witnessed the signing of several agreements aimed at boosting the country’s maritime, tourism and agriculture sectors.

Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said the Philippines and Brunei Darussalam signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) certificates.

The agreement was in keeping with the 1978 STCW Convention governing the approval of seafarers entering any of the member countries.

READ: Marcos leaves for 2-day state visit to Brunei

Garafil said the deal would allow the two nations to recognize the certificates presented by their respective seafarers.

Both countries also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on skills training, research and information sharing between their maritime sectors.

Tourism, agriculture

Also sealed was an MOU on “cooperative tourism projects” with the aim of increasing tourist arrivals in the two countries.

It explores “niche tourism development, particularly in the area of Islamic tourism and the promotion of Muslim-friendly destinations,” Garafil added.

Marcos said that through the MOU, “we hope to entice and attract Bruneian tourists to explore the Philippines.”

For despite Brunei’s “relatively small population,” he said, “it is the quality of tourists and not the quantity that counts.”

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said 6,639 Bruneians visited the Philippines last year.

Having the new MOU would “bring significant advancements in tourism for both nations especially [since] it includes collaboration to expand … Muslim-friendly tourism,” she said.

The countries also signed a letter of intent to renew an MOU on food security and agricultural cooperation.

The President and first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos arrived at Bandar Seri Begawan on Tuesday morning for a two-day state visit.

His official delegation included Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, Presidential Adviser on Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick Go, Speaker Martin Romualdez, Frasco and Garafil.

Marcos earlier visited Brunei in January to attend the royal wedding of the sultan’s son, Prince Abdul Mateen.

Constant helper

In the bilateral meeting, Marcos thanked the sultan for Brunei’s assistance to the Philippines over the years, like in the aftermath of Supertyphoons “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) in 2013 and “Odette” (Rai) in 2021, as well as during the coronavirus pandemic.

The President also underscored Brunei’s role in the Mindanao peace process.

Marcos recalled accompanying his father and namesake during the older Marcos’ state visit to the tiny but oil-rich state in February 1984, a month after it gained independence after 96 years as a British protectorate.

“The landscape of our region and of the world [since then] is changing in fundamental ways. The challenges brought by climate change, environmental degradation, and geopolitical tensions find it necessary for nation-states to cooperate more closely and more effectively,” Marcos said.

“I am therefore honored to discuss the state of our countries’ relations as well as exchange views on regional and international developments with the world’s longest-reigning current monarch and the longest-serving current head of state,” he added.

Naia ‘improvements’

Later on Tuesday, speaking to the Filipino community at Bridex International Convention Center, the President assured the audience that he would “focus on infrastructure development to allow for growth in far-flung municipalities.”

“We don’t want to see that development is only in Manila or in Luzon. Nobody should be left behind,” Marcos said. “So we go to the underdeveloped areas of the Philippines.’’

For would-be balikbayan, or those going home, “a new and upgraded” Ninoy Aquino International Airport would soon be ready for them, with “initial improvements (expected to) be felt next year.”

Next stop: Singapore

Marcos will next attend the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31, a forum organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies where foreign and defense ministers from 40 participating nations are expected, including China.

His two-day working visit in Singapore is upon the invitation of then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who stepped down on May 15 after 20 years as head of the city-state.

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Marcos said he would invite the new Singapore prime minister, Lawrence Wong, and President Tharman Shanmugaratnam to visit Manila to further strengthen 55 years of diplomatic relations.

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Has India’s Muslim population really exploded?

A new government report claims that the country’s Muslim population share has increased 43 percent since 1950, fuelling an unfounded conspiracy theory.

Indian Muslims pray together on the last Friday of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at Jama Masjid in New Delhi, India, Friday, April 5, 2024. Islam's holiest month is a period of intense prayer, self-discipline, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

New Delhi, India – The share of Indian Muslims in the country’s population has soared by more than 43 percent since 1950: That’s the key takeaway from a new working paper published by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Economic Advisory Council (EAC).

Amid India’s heated national election campaign, as Modi has increasingly painted scenarios of Muslims backed by opposition parties taking over the nation’s resources, the report has sparked criticism over its timing. Sections of Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have amplified the findings of the paper to emphasise a narrative long peddled by the Hindu right that the community’s religious majority in the country is under threat.

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So, what does the paper claim and what do the facts say? Is India’s Muslim population actually growing exponentially faster than that of other communities – including Hindus? And why is the report facing criticism?

What does the working paper say?

The report looks at global demographic trends between 1950 and 2015. It relies on statistics from the Association of Religion Data Archive (ARDA), a free online database of global religious data.

It concludes that in the period studied, the share of the Muslim population in India increased by 43.15 percent, from 9.84 percent to 14.09 percent. By contrast, it says, the share of the majority Hindu population decreased by 7.82 percent between 1950 and 2015, from 84.68 percent to 78.06 percent.

The share of India’s Christian population rose from 2.24 percent to 2.36 percent – an increase of 5.38 percent; and the Sikh population by 6.58 percent, from 1.74 percent in 1950 to 1.85 percent in 2015. The report mentions that the share of India’s Buddhist population has grown from 0.05 percent to 0.81 percent, but skips the percentage increase – nearly 1,600 percent, per this methodology – for the community.

It concludes that in most of the 167 countries studied, the population share of the majority religious faith has declined – with some in India’s neighbourhood, including Muslim-majority Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, and Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka and Bhutan, bucking that trend.

In India’s case, the report says, the increase in the population of multiple religious minorities was a reflection of a “cumulative measure of their well-being”. The data shows, according to the paper, that in India, “minorities are not just protected but thriving” – even though multiple international reports and rankings warn of the country’s decline in religious freedom.

Yet, the paper lacks critical context, and its timing – amid the election – raises questions over its motivation, suggest some economists.

“The paper serves the purpose of the regime and not of ‘research’,” said Santosh Mehrotra, a development economist and visiting professor at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom.

Al Jazeera reached out to two co-authors of the paper, and to multiple BJP spokespersons, for their response to the criticism of the report, but they either did not respond or refused to comment.

Do these numbers lack context?

The report relies on data from a survey, not the decadal national Census that was last conducted in 2011. The 2021 census was postponed because of COVID-19, but the Modi government is yet to announce a timeline for the delayed exercise. Demographers typically consider census data more robust, as the outcome of surveys, with smaller sample sizes, can be dependent on the selection of participants.

“There is no replacement for the census – and nothing can be done for policy without this missing data,” said Aashish Gupta, a demographer and a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow at the University of Oxford. “This is currently having widespread implications from allocations of funds to policy forming – none of the changes in the last 14 years in India have been accounted for.”

The paper, its critics say, overlooks the actual rise in the Hindu population in this period – and how that compares to the Muslim population increase in this period. Between 1951 and 2011, the Muslim population rose from 35.4 million to 172 million. The Hindu population rose from 303 million to 966 million in the same period – a five times greater increase.

All of that undermines the credibility of the paper, said Gupta. “This paper makes a mountain out of molehill,” he said. “It is an exercise in propaganda and politics and should not be seen as scholarly.”

Myth of Muslim population boom

India’s Hindu majoritarian right has long pushed a conspiracy theory, “population jihad”, that suggests that Indian Muslims reproduce faster, with the intent of eventually outnumbering Hindus.

In reality, however, Muslim fertility rates are falling the fastest among all major religious groups in India, according to the government’s own data. The fertility rate – the average number of children a woman gives birth to – among Muslims fell from 4.41 to 2.36 between 1992 and 2021, while it dropped from 3.3 to 1.94 for Hindus.

The report ignores this shift, said Gupta.

Critics of the new government paper say it ends up lending credibility to a debunked narrative. When politicians peddle anti-Muslim conspiracy theories, Mehrotra said, it can be passed off as dog whistles – but a “divisive paper coming under the name of EAC carries credibility”.

“This government is misutilising its resources to seed its political purposes,” said Mehrotra. “For the last 100 years, the Hindu right has been fearmongering about the Muslim population, and this paper contributes to that history without being critical.”

Why the report matters

As the re-election campaign proceeds, Modi has doubled down on his rhetoric against India’s 200 million Muslims, seemingly calling them “infiltrators” and referring to them as “those who produce more children,” though he appeared to distance himself from those comments in one subsequent interview.

The new government report offered renewed fuel for unfounded suggestions from the PM’s party that India’s Hindu majority was under threat.

Share of Hindus shrunk 7.8% between 1950 and 2015. Muslim population grew at 43%. This is what decades of Congress rule did to us. Left to them, there would be no country for Hindus. pic.twitter.com/xNUramJyNE — Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) May 9, 2024

Amit Malviya, in charge of the BJP national information department, cited the report to post on X that if the country were left to the opposition Congress party, “there would be no country for Hindus”. Another minister from Modi’s cabinet, Smriti Irani, said that the report was “evidence of the damage caused to Hindus” and the Congress’s legacy is of “torture and disrespect to the Hindu community”.

The new EAC paper “plays on the fears that are used to demonise India’s minority communities,” said Gupta. “In some sense, it is a strategic exercise – doing it for propaganda.”

As some sections of the Indian media amplified the conclusions of the report, the Population Foundation of India, an independent think tank, expressed concerns, accusing them of “spreading alarm regarding the growth of the Muslim population”, calling the interpretations “not only inaccurate but also misleading and baseless”.

Villagers at odds with Cotswold MP's survey over new coach restrictions in tourist hotspot

E ight out of ten people who took part in a survey into the problems coaches are causing in one of the most popular destinations in the Cotswold are opposed to a ban. Conservative MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brow n decided to undertake an impartial survey over the issue which has caused “parking chaos” in Bourton-on-the-Water since the start of the year.

However, concerns have been raised over the validity of the survey results due to perceived leading questions and bias in the questionnaire. On December 31, the Bourton Vale car park stopped taking coaches and since then the vehicles have been dropping off tourists on double yellow lines in Station Road and other parts of the village.

This has caused mayhem in the village, with turning coaches knocking over petrol pumps, blocking roads and causing other road safety issues. The parish council has since agreed to request an experimental traffic regulation order (TR) to better manage traffic and coach movements within the village while a long term parking solution is found for the coaches.

READ MORE: 'Cheeky' Tory activist apologises after being caught on camera taking Labour leaflet from Gloucester home's letterbox

MORE NEWS: 'Overtourism' causing free-for-all chaos in the Cotswolds as villagers put up with parking woes and abusive visitors

The aim of the TRO is to understand how best to restrict coaches and includes Lankett Lane and "The Steeps" which would stop coahces turning off Fosseway A429 south of Bourton and geing stuck before Bakery on the Water.

It would also extend east from the Post Office corenr on Rissington Road up to Leasow Lane, Litle Rissington to prevent coaches coming from that direction. And coaches would be restricted from the west at the A429 and Station Road junction from the traffic lights to Post Office corner.

And there would be a restriction from Meadow Way junction with Bourton Link near Stanway Green to the miniroundabout, from Bourton Nusery past Travis Perkins and from the mini roundabout down past cCstwold Gymnastics, Colletts Garage and small units on industrial estate down ot Station Road junction.

There is already a TRO in place which covers High Street, Lansdowne, Moore Road, Victoria Street and Bow Lane and others south of the River Windrush. But the recent survey suggests 80 per cent of respondents rejected the proposal of a traffic regulation order costing £35,000 to restrict coaches from specific roads in the village centre.

Some 3,000 surveys were delivered and 863 people responded. The ballot box was opened by an independent firm of accountants and counted before being inputted and analysed, according to those behind the scheme.

Of the replies, 410 responses were received through the on-line survey and 453 completed surveys were returned to a sealed ballot box at Bourton Post Office. Some 65 per cent of respondents thought that coach tourists were very important to the economy of Bourton-on-the-Water and a further 20% thought it was quite important.

In exploring this in more detail, 75 per cent thought that coaches were more environmentally friendly than cars; 76 per cent thought it enhanced the village’s reputation as a tourist destination and 80 per cent thought coaches provided jobs and allowed shops and businesses to stay open.

When asked a question about which of three solutions to the problem of coach parking would respondents support, 68 per cent thought an allocated area on Cotswold District Council's Rissington Road car park should be provided; 75 per cent preferring an allocated area in the industrial estate and finally 50 per cent of respondents preferring a designated drop off point.

Finally, 80 per cent of respondents were very disappointed with the way in which the whole issue of coach parking had been handled by all the parties involved in the future of coaches in Bourton-on-the-Water. Sir Geoffrey thanked those who took the time to complete the survey.

“I am very satisfied that the survey was conducted independently and that the results clearly show how important coaches are to the economy of Bourton,” he said. “It now remains for the interested parties to get their heads together to find a workable solution. If I am re-elected on July 4, I pledge to continue with all interested parties to find.”

The survey came about after a meeting was convened by Sir Geoffrey which included elected members of the Parish, District and County Councils together with the Highways Officer and coach operators to discuss the matter. During the meeting, it became clear that because the Bourton Vale Car Park was closed to coaches, other solutions have to be found so that coaches can park safely this Summer and in future.

But District Councillor Jon Wareing (LD, Bourton Village) says the “so-called" official survey on coach parking really was a missed opportunity to engage with residents on the topic of traffic and tourism in Bourton. He says some business people and residents saw it as a “cheap political stunt” and has received comments which range from outrage to frustration over the perceived leading and manipulative nature of the questionnaire.

“People didn’t feel there was any way they could register their views at all,” he said. “When this survey was first mooted, we were promised something impartial and unbiased.

“Instead, it was left in no doubt how the authors of the piece wanted you to respond. The opening page made it clear that tourism by coach is very important to the local economy by quoting a big figure. £2.5 million allegedly spent by people who visit Bourton by coach.

“Unfortunately, nowhere do we get a figure that allows us to see how big or small that number is in the context of the whole economy of Bourton. We were also instructed that Bourton is allegedly one of the twelve most important coach destinations in Britain.

"So, can anyone be at all surprised that the majority of respondents duly agreed that coach tourists are very important to the economy of Bourton-on-the-Water? The majority of respondents also voiced their dissatisfaction at the way this has been handled.

“Is this a rebuke to their Local MP who decided to get involved three months after coach parking provision was terminated in Bourton Vale Car Park? The topic had been debated for well over 20 months prior to this point!”

Cllr Wareing said he shares the frustration and dissatisfaction about the handling of this issue. “The debate has been acrimonious, abusive and misleading,” he said.

“Any attempt to push for constructive and balanced discussion has been obstructed by the narrow self-interest of a vocal few who have been insistent that the Rissington Road Car Park is the only solution.

“At the same time, were this to be an option on the table, demonstrating complete disregard for the residents and business-people whose lives would become even more disrupted, delayed and less safe, by pushing coaches deeper into the village round a narrow 90 degree bend at Post Office Corner and along the narrow Rissington Road.

“At the end of the day, the survey tells us nothing significant other than reinforcing the point that the majority of respondents want coaches out of the centre of the village. I’ve been banging this drum for a long time now.

“We desperately need somewhere on the periphery of the village, by the Fosseway, to park up all our visitor traffic, whether they come by coach or car. Hopefully, come July, our newly-elected MP, whoever this is, will be on the case from the start and make this a priority!”

The lack of dedicated coach parking spaces is causing traffic problems in Bourton

The Muslim tourist market is projected to contribute at least 230 million in global international tourist arrivals with a spending of US$225 billion by 2028. This forecast has prompted many popular destinations to come up with innovative offerings to attract Muslims tourists.

The Muslim tourist market is a goldmine for Malaysian businesses across various industries. Muslim tourists currently constitute about 20% of the total tourist arrivals to Malaysia, which contributed about RM14.7 billion to the local economy in 2023.

However, there is rising competition from other destinations, particularly from neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, which are also aggressively promoting their Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality (MFTH) products and services.

Recognising the rising competition from regional countries and the vast potential of Muslim tourists, the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC), an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), is stepping up its efforts to strengthen Malaysia’s position as a top Muslim-friendly destination.

ITC introduced the Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition (MFAR) and Muslim-Friendly Tourist Guide (MFTG) programmes to ensure quality products and services, enhance tourist confidence, and open new market opportunities.

ITC established MFAR in 2019, which is the first government-backed recognition for businesses offering Muslim-friendly services in the following areas: Tourist Accommodation Premises; Spa and Wellness and Massage Premises; Medical Facilities; Travel Management Operating Businesses; Transportation Hubs; Tourism Products; Shopping Centres; Theme and Entertainment Parks; Rest and Recuperation Areas; and Trade and Convention Centres.

Building tourism standards

ITC sees the importance of Muslim-friendly tourism and hospitality standards as a way to attract Muslim travellers and enhance their experience in Malaysia.

ITC director-general Nizran Noordin says: “Just like how Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia’s (JAKIM) halal certification has been helpful for Muslims in their decision-making when it comes to food and consumer goods such as medicine and cosmetic products, for example, MFAR aims to provide the same recognition fo tourism products and services.”

According to Nizran, the purpose of MFAR is to optimise tourists’ satisfaction and experience in Malaysia, enabling them to explore the country’s cultural, natural and other attractions.

“This is where we see our MFAR and MFTG recognition programmes playing a key role in gaining the trust and confidence of Muslim travellers,” he says.

Although it emphasises Muslim-friendly tourism, MFAR recognition does not mean that the recognised premise rejects non-Muslim patrons.

“The MFAR is simply a marketing tool to communicate that the business operator can provide value-added services or facilities that Muslims may look for such as prayer facilities, water for ablution and halal food,” Nizran says.

“Increased Muslim tourist arrivals means that there will be demand for a variety of faith-based goods and services during the vacation period,” he notes. “Muslim tourists on holiday will look for for activities and recreation that do not go against their faith obligations.”

Therefore, ITC sees opportunities for businesses in Malaysia to offer Muslim-friendly and family-friendly entertainment, activities and events, as well as spa and wellness services that are gender-conscious and provide privacy to their clients.

Assurance for Muslims

Malaysia has topped the ranking for Muslim-friendly destinations in Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) since it was first published in 2015. In 2023, Malaysia was named “Muslim-Friendly Destination of the Year’’ and “Muslim Women-Friendly Destination of the Year” at the Halal in Travel Awards 2023.

All this recognition points to Malaysia’s continuous attraction as a Muslim-friendly travel destination, along with its good transport infrastructure, communication proficiency, ease of entry for travellers from top Muslim outbound destinations, stakeholder awareness, safety, extensive halal dining options, availability of prayer places and Muslim-friendly accommodation options.

“These recognitions give ITC further motivation to reach out to more tourism industry players and inform them of the opportunities in Muslim-friendly tourism and hospitality,” Nizran says.

For the upcoming Visit Malaysia Year 2026, targeted tourist arrivals and receipts are 35.6 million and RM147.1 billion respectively.

In addition, MOTAC aims to position Malaysia as an Umrah hub in Southeast Asia, East Asia and Oceania to increase Muslim tourist arrivals in Malaysia.

“It’s clear that there are many opportunities for tourism industry players and entrepreneurs to take advantage of this development and create products and services for this market,” Nizran says.

He emphasises that the growth of the Muslim tourist market may well sustain sectors such as banking, finance and insurance through offerings of payment gateways, digital wallets and travel insurance products for the Muslim tourist market.

Guiding the way to recognition

The updated MFAR recognises Muslim-friendly tourism products based on globally accepted standards developed by Malaysia (MS2610), including the welfare of workers and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs).

MFTG, on the other hand, recognises MOTAC-licensed tourist guides who have undergone a three-day ITC training session and passed the assessment on understanding the Muslim tourist market.

To make it easier for hotels to apply for MFAR recognition, ITC has developed a rating system where businesses can attain either silver, gold or platinum MFAR recognition, depending on their level of commitment and compliance with the guidelines.

“ITC hopes industry players will adopt all these recognitions to provide greater assurance to Muslim tourists, especially as we prepare for Malaysia to be an Umrah hub for Southeast Asia, East Asia and Oceania,” Nizran says.

For more information, visit ITC’s official website ( www.itc.gov.my ), Facebook page ( Islamic Tourism Centre ), Instagram ( itc_my ), LinkedIn ( Islamic Tourism Centre ) or TikTok ( itc_my ). Tel: (03) 8891 7177 Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

How has the war in Gaza changed Muslim-Jewish relations in Morocco?

Alexa Dvorson

Morocco’s high tourism season is well underway, but one substantial group is missing: Israelis of Moroccan descent who usually arrive by the tens of thousands to visit their ancestral homeland every year. They stopped coming to Morocco after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and ensuing war in Gaza. As correspondent Alexa Dvorson reports, Moroccans in the city of Fez are discouraged because the country has a long history of peaceful Muslim-Jewish coexistence.

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Survey finds Montanans supportive of tourism, but anxious about the industry’s future

A graph from the 'Montana Residents' Attitudes Towards Tourism - 2023' study from the University of Montana's Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research. The title is 'Figure 1: The Overall Benefits of Tourism Outweigh the Negative Impacts'. Three percent of respondents 'strongly disagree'; 10 percent 'disagree'; 18 percent are 'neutral; 56 percent 'agree' and 12 percent 'strongly agree'.

The tourism and recreation industry supported nearly fifty thousand jobs and brought over $5 billion into Montana last year . That contributed to more than two-thirds of Montanans saying they think the positive aspects of tourism outweigh the negatives in an annual survey conducted by the Institute of Tourism and Recreation Research at the University of Montana.

But longer-term data gathered by the institute show support for that viewpoint has declined by around 20% in the last decade, while belief that increased tourism in the future will negatively impact residents’ quality of life has doubled.

“Around like 2016-17, a lot of these things were starting to trend anyway. And then the pandemic just kind of put it into overdrive a little bit.” Said Carter Bermingham, a social scientist and one of the survey’s authors.

Bermingham says one way the industry could try and change those opinion trends is by emphasizing the tax contributions tourism makes. The institute estimates tourism reduced the average household tax burden in Montana by $930 in 2023.

NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

As a state teacher, Labour’s private school tax plans fill me with fear

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On the surface, Keir Starmer ’s plan for private schools is remarkable.

If Labour wins the General Election on July 4 , they want to apply 20% VAT to private school fees and make all independent schools fully liable for business rates.

According to Labour, this would raise over a billion pounds, which will reportedly be funneled into state schools.

At first glance, it sounds good, right? Why should private schools get a tax break when they are centres of utmost privilege in our society? If we can tax the rich through school fees to put more money in the public purse for vital funding for the NHS and state education, then why shouldn’t we?

But as a teacher in a state school, this plan fills me with dread and frustration – and genuine fear for what this will mean for my students and those living in the most impoverished areas up and down the country.

A damning survey found that almost 60% of parents would certainly or probably withdraw their child from their current school if the initiative went ahead, leading to a mass exodus of pupils from fee-paying independent schools.

But where is it that these students will go?

Of course, the most elite families will keep their children in private education . They will be able to absorb the hike in fees. And if anything, it’ll look an even better investment to them because private schools will simply become further segregated from society.

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They’ll turn into rare and exclusive sites of even more opportunity unattainable for the masses. Where only the very super-rich can rub shoulders with their peers.

But for the children from wealthy homes who are just slightly tipped over the edge by the fee increase, or families who have multiple school-aged children and cannot handle the extra thousands every month, it will be a different story. These are still young people living in intense, sheltered privilege – families who could previously afford what the majority of the population could never even imagine.

Now, is it likely that these families will remove them from the seclusion of a fee-paying school and stick them in an ‘inadequate’ comprehensive that can barely afford books?

No, of course not. Every parent wants what is best for their child. So it will be the very best schools of choice for families who have been pushed out of private education.

What will likely happen is that the highest-performing schools with the best reputations (grammar schools, schools graded ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted, and schools in the most expensive areas) will become swamped with these previously-privately educated children.

To use the unfortunate image of a food chain – which feels all too apt for our class-ruled society in Britain – the rich will populate the top of the food chain, pushing the less privileged down. And the children living in abject poverty at the bottom will be all but knocked off the food chain altogether.

Adding a hoard of private school children to the state education sector will not level the playing field because state education is not fair or equal. The wealthiest families have access to opportunities that will secure them spaces for their children in the very best schools.

Keir Starmer attends a Labour general election campaign event

Unlike the rich, families relying on food banks cannot afford to pay extortionate fees for 11+ tutoring to ensure grammar school entry for their children. And families grappling with the instability of insecure housing cannot simply opt to purchase property in the catchment area of their chosen school.

In fact, research last year found that an ‘Outstanding’ grade from Ofsted can boost local house prices by an average of more than £40,000.

If the highest performing state schools become magnets for the wealthy, then this will push out the local community, depriving them of the excellent education that was on their doorstep because they simply can no longer afford to live near a great school.

It is undeniable: Labour’s plans will likely only exacerbate our existing gap between the rich and poor in our society.

Sure, Starmer’s pledge to use the money raised from a 20% VAT on private school fees to help pay for 6,500 more teachers sounds impressive. Amidst over a decade of Tory rule and under the decimating legacy of austerity, schools desperately need teachers.

However if we unpack this statistic a little, its impact seems to wither in comparison to the impact of a mass exodus of pupils from private schools whose parents can no longer afford the higher fees.

There are over 16,000 primary schools in England and over 3,000 secondary schools. Hiring 6,500 would only scratch the surface of the problem, considering the Government has failed to meet its own teaching recruitment targets for nine out of the last 10 years.

Worse than this though, is the fact that Starmer’s pledge is short sighted and sounds great for grabbing headlines, while doing very little to actually solve the deep-rooted and complex issues in our schools.

Recruiting teachers is one thing, but retaining them is another. And in a profession that is haemorrhaging some of its best minds (almost 9% of the teaching workforce left in the year 2021-22) due to poor pay, being overworked and a lack of funding in the sector means that our next government’s focus should be on keeping experienced educators in the classroom rather than hiring more graduates to fill a gap.

The problem, as usual, is that their plans don’t go far enough. If anything, this latest initiative makes private school a more attractive proposition for the elite, but ensures that grammar schools are the exact opposite of social mobility machines.

What we need is a radical solution. We need the eradication of private education across the board because all it offers is the chance for the wealthy to buy their children the power and prestige that is predicated on those beneath them being deprived.

We need the rich to be taxed in accordance with their wealth – on their lucrative wages and hefty estates – so that this money can be funnelled into making state education equitable and transformational for all.

Eradicating private education, rather than making it more exclusive, is the only solution. That’s what the Labour Party voted to do in 2019 .

Truly levelling the educational playing field would mean students like mine would have access to better teachers, newer resources and more valuable opportunities – and it would also ensure that the exceptional standard of education that people pay for becomes available to all, regardless of background.

And then we need state education to be funded properly and fully. We need teachers to be paid a fair wage that matches the importance of the job and their level of expertise. To make teaching a job that attracts the best minds so that they can inspire and coach the next generation.

We need school buildings and resources and extra-curricular opportunities to be pumped with cash so that the experience of a state school child (even and especially in the poorest of areas) matches that offered at the best private schools.

If we want our nation to thrive, to break down class barriers rather than uphold them, and to ensure that social mobility is actualised for every child in poverty, then we need to truly level the playing field.

We need to make sure that a school in the home counties, inner-city Liverpool, central London or one in Cornwall offer the same quality of education and future prospects for their students, no matter their background. But the way to do this is not to tax private schools.

The way to do this is to do what teaching unions are already calling for: to properly fund education.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing [email protected] .

Share your views in the comments below.

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COMMENTS

What Makes Muslim Friendly Tourism? An Empirical
After questionnaire survey, the structural questionnaire was used to collect data from the members at Muslims' tourists. Valid responses from the survey was 161 with a 92.5 % of respond rate. The empirical results from the structural model suggest that: (1) Muslims friendly tourism positively and significant impact tourist attitude, destination ...
Muslim Tourist Perceived Value and Their Satisfaction
Survey instrument. The survey instrument was adopted from Isa et al. (2018); ... Muslim tourist perceived value: a study on Malaysia Halal tourism. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 9(2), 402-420. DOI: 10.1108/JIMA-11-2016-0083. Jeaheng, Y., Al-Ansi, A., & Han, H. (2019). Halal-friendly hotels: impact of halal-friendly attributes on guest ...
Understanding Muslim Tourists: What, Why and How Do They Travel
Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism sector, the Muslim travel market is expected to regain in 2023 up to 80% of the 2019 levels (Mastercard-CrescentRating, 2021). The increased number of Muslim tourists have interested many destinations - whether Islamic or non-Islamic destinations (Burton, 2021).
Full article: Antecedents of Muslim tourist loyalty: The role of
1. Introduction. Halal tourism is Muslim-friendly tourism. There are no travel restrictions in Islam, as long as it follows Sharia. The purpose of traveling in Islam according to Ratnasari (Citation 2020), namely: to see and admire Allah's creation, seek knowledge and experience, introduce Islam, strengthen brotherhood, entertainment.Tourist loyalty is a key point in managing tourism ...
Attributes Influencing Overall Tourist Satisfaction and Its
In the context of Muslim-friendly tourism, marketers have to pay attention to the needs of their main target, Muslim tourists. ... An online survey was conducted, with a sample of 231 Muslims who traveled to Muslim-majority cities, and the data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. The results showed that both generic and Islamic ...
Tourists' satisfaction with Islamic attributes of destination: a
A survey was conducted with 604 Muslim tourists who visited non-Muslim destinations. The results showed that all generic attributes influenced Muslim tourists' satisfaction, whereas for Islamic ...
Muslim Tourist Religiosity, Perceived Values, Satisfaction And Loyalty
This study investigates the relationships among Muslim tourists' perceived values, satisfaction,loyalty and the moderating effect of religiosity. These relationships are explored with a sample ...
(PDF) Muslim Tourist Religiosity, Perceived Values, Satisfaction, and
Muslim Tourist Satisfaction and Loyalty Former studies have confirmed that tourist satisfaction is an important variable to all stakeholders in the tourism industry (Prebensen & Xie, 2017; Z. Song, Su, & Li, 2013). ... (4th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage. Deichmann, J., & Frempong, F. (2016). International tourism in Ghana: A survey analysis of ...
Muslim Tourist Perceived Value and Their Satisfaction
It has a significant positive effect on Muslim tourist satisfaction in terms of cognitive value ( β =. 0.180, p < 0.05). T his is supported by Eid and El-Gohary (20 15), Raji et al. (2017), and ...
Factors Influencing Muslim Tourists Satisfaction Travelling to Non
According to Duman , Halal tourism is a tourism activity by Muslims that originate from Islamic motivations and are realized according to Shariah principles. Islam advocates the Muslims go to travel around this earth for the purpose of education, achieving spiritual, social and physical benefits (Shakona et al. 2015 ; Zamani-farahani and ...
Factors Influencing Muslim Tourists Satisfaction Travelling to Non
in 2011. The same report has also forecasted that the Muslim tourist spending is expected to grow further to $192 billion by 2020, representing 13.4% of the global tourism expenditure. Another study conducted by MasterCard and CrescentRating revealed Muslim travel market was worth $145 billion, with 108 million Muslim
PDF What Makes Muslim Friendly Tourism? An Empirical Study on Destination
image, and travel intention in the tourism industry. After questionnaire survey, the structural questionnaire was used to collect data from the members at Muslims' tourists. Valid responses from the survey was 161 with a 92.5 % of respond rate. ... and the Muslim tourist's attitude is the that toward Taiwan as a Muslim Friendly . 3.
Women in Tourism in Muslim Contexts: The Impact of Cultural ...
Their explicit and basic difference is their personal religious belonging - either Muslim or non-Muslim. The survey design was based on a quantitative cross-sectional approach. ... M. N., & Battor, M. (2011). The impact of destination attributes on Muslim tourist's choice. International Journal of Tourism Research, 13(6), 527-540. Article ...
Understanding Muslim Customer Satisfaction with Halal Destinations: The
A total of 295 questionnaires consisting of 40 items was distributed to Muslim tourists on-line through survey sites and off-line at Lombok Island. Lombok was employed because it was chosen as the Best Halal Tourist Destination and the Best Halal Honeymoon Destination during the World Halal Travel Awards 2015 held in Abu Dhabi.
Measuring Travel Satisfaction Among Muslim Tourists in Malaysia
This paper poses the question: What is the relationship between the Muslim Tourist. Only limited research has examined the role of religion in a tourism context. This study examines the travel satisfaction among Muslim tourists in Malaysia. This paper poses the question: What is the relationship between the Muslim Tourist
[PDF] Muslim Tourist Religiosity, Perceived Values, Satisfaction, and
This study investigates the relationships among Muslim tourists' perceived values, satisfaction, loyalty, and the moderating effect of religiosity. These relationships are explored with a sample of 396 Ghanaian Muslim tourists visiting Larabanga Mosque. Structural equation modeling and multigroup analysis were used to explore the relationships and the moderating effect of the studied variables.
Global: value of Muslim friendly travel leading countries by ...
Survey time period. 2021. Citation formats. Citation formats View options Other statistics on the topic. Global halal market ... Muslim tourist arrivals from Singapore to Malaysia 2015-2017;
Antecedents of Muslim tourist loyalty: The role of Islamic religiosity
This research investigates the antecedents of tourist loyalty in the Muslim-friendly tourism context. It examines the link between Islamic tourism destination attributes, service quality, customer engagement, value co-creation, and loyalty. It also highlights the moderating roles of Islamic religiosity. This study revealed that Islamic tourism ...
Antecedents of Muslim tourist loyalty: The role of Islamic religiosity
This study is survey research using a questionnaire to 450 Muslim tourists as the respondents. The data were collected using purposive sampling as the sampling method. After several preliminary tests, this study only used 375 usable responses in the analysis. ... Antecedents of Muslim tourist loyalty: The role of Islamic religiosity and tourist ...
Malaysia ranks first again in global Muslim travel index despite
Nancy also highlighted the contributions of the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC), an agency under the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry in charge of Islamic tourism-related affairs, towards the recognition. Keeping travel halal amid pandemic The GMTI 2021 ranked 140 destinations that account for more than 95% of Muslim visitor arrivals.
(PDF) The Customer's Perception towards Shariah-Compliant Hotel in
The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that influence Muslim Tourist preference towards a Halal Concept Hotels in, particularly Malaysia. ... that selection and satisfaction of staying in Halal Concept Hotel might be moderated by Religious devotedness of Muslim Tourist. Therefore a survey must be conducted to collect Muslim Tourist ...
How to unlock Hong Kong's halal tourism potential
The Hong Kong government first proposed the idea of targeting Muslim tourists in 2018, but the initiatives that followed were scattered and lacked focus. As a result, these efforts largely ...
Antecedents of Muslim tourist loyalty: The role of Islamic religiosity
Abstract This research investigates the antecedents of tourist loyalty in the Muslim-friendly tourism context. It examines the link between Islamic tourism destination attributes, service quality, customer engagement, value co-creation, and loyalty. It also highlights the moderating roles of Islamic religiosity. This study is survey research using a questionnaire to 450 Muslim tourists as the ...
PH-Brunei accords on seafarers, 'Muslim-friendly tourism' signed
Muslim-friendly tourism," she said. The countries also signed a letter of intent to renew an MOU on food security and agricultural cooperation.
Has India's Muslim population really exploded?
Between 1951 and 2011, the Muslim population rose from 35.4 million to 172 million. The Hindu population rose from 303 million to 966 million in the same period - a five times greater increase ...
Villagers at odds with Cotswold MP's survey over new coach ...
But the recent survey suggests 80 per cent of respondents rejected the proposal of a traffic regulation order costing £35,000 to restrict coaches from specific roads in the village centre. Some ...
Muslim-friendly tourism
The Muslim tourist market is projected to contribute at least 230 million in global international tourist arrivals with a spending of US$225 billion by 2028. This forecast has prompted many popular destinations to come up with innovative offerings to attract Muslims tourists.
How has the war in Gaza changed Muslim-Jewish relations in Morocco
The World May. 28, 2024. Alexa Dvorson. Morocco's high tourism season is well underway, but one substantial group is missing: Israelis of Moroccan descent who usually arrive by the tens of thousands to visit their ancestral homeland every year. They stopped coming to Morocco after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and ensuing war in Gaza.
Survey finds Montanans supportive of tourism, but anxious about the
The tourism and recreation industry supported nearly fifty thousand jobs and brought over $5 billion into Montana last year.That contributed to more than two-thirds of Montanans saying they think the positive aspects of tourism outweigh the negatives in an annual survey conducted by the Institute of Tourism and Recreation Research at the University of Montana.
As a state teacher, Labour's private school tax plans fill me ...
On the surface, Keir Starmer 's plan for private schools is remarkable. If Labour wins the General Election on July 4, they want to apply 20% VAT to private school fees and make all independent ...

71 UNDERSTANDING MUSLIM TOURISTS: WHAT, WHY AND HOW DO THEY TRAVEL? – Contributions by Hera Oktadiana

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