AI-enabled technologies to assist Muslim tourists in Halal-friendly tourism

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to present a theoretical account of the connection between artificial intelligence (AI) enabled technologies and Muslim-friendly tourism experiences (MFTX) using the customer experience (CX) theory, reference group theory and theory of tourism consumption systems. Design/methodology/approach A model research design is adopted to build a theoretical framework that predicts relationships between constructs. Critical assessment in tourism and AI literature is used to explore AI-enabled technologies in Halal-friendly tourism. Findings The findings of this paper have conceptualised the CX theory for Muslim travellers satisfying their religious needs in Halal-friendly tourism by suggesting a new construct called the MFTX. It also offered a theoretical model for using AI-enabled technologies to improve the MFTX. Originality/value This study provides a new theoretical model for using AI-enabled technologies to improve the MFTX. This paper is also expected to provide suggestions for tourism operators and service providers to cater to Muslim tourists’ needs using AI technologies.

The effect of Islamic attributes, destination image, scepticism, perceived value and halal awareness on the intention to engage in Muslim-friendly travel

“…In terms of Muslim travel, behavioural intention has been discussed in the context of visiting Muslim countries (Kim et al, 2015;Lestari et al, 2022), non-Muslim countries (Aji et al, 2020;Wibawa et al, 2021) and in general (Papastathopoulos et al, 2020;Rahman et al, 2020). The findings have shown that there are many factors driving Muslim consumers to choose certain travel destinations, whether directly or indirectly, such as destination image (Battour et al, 2010b;Lestari et al, 2022), motivation , technology (Battour et al, 2022;Berakon et al, 2023), religiosity (Eid and El-Gohary, 2015a;Sudarsono et al, 2021), knowledge (Sudarsono et al, 2021) or halal considerations (Wibawa et al, 2021). Aji (2017) argued that scepticism would lead to a negative attitude towards halal products, which leads to a decreased purchase likelihood.…”

Factors influencing halal tourism destinations revisit intentions among Muslim travelers of Bangladesh: the mediating role of emotional attachments

“…information processing and dissemination about swimming pools, food and place of worship) in accordance with the Shariah obligations (Razak et al , 2019; Moshin et al , 2020). Besides, Battour et al (2022) define halal services as the information books or guidebooks that contain the necessary particulars and guidance, including halal food, halal swimming pools and spa, halal gymnasium, place of worship and airports. The current study evaluates the halal services in terms of designations’ information, containing in flyers and brochures, and in languages such as Bangla, English and Arabic, which are conformed to Islamic laws.…”

“…Ratnasari et al (2021) have observed that halal certification and halal logos impact behavioral intentions toward halal tourism. Further, halal tourism attributes, such as Islamic dress code (Fajriyati et al , 2020), prayer time and halal entertainment (Battour et al , 2022) and tourists’ emotional bonds (Battour et al , 2022), impact intentions toward halal tourism. Thus, the debate still exists in the literature about what attributes dominantly influence tourists’ behavioral intentions toward halal tourism.…”

Reflection of Digitalization and Social Media on Muslim-Friendly Tourism

“…İşletmelerin rekabet üstünlüğü elde edebilmek için teknolojik açıdan da ön planda olmaları gerekmektedir. Turizm işletmeleri teknolojik olarak her daim otomasyon sistemleri ve robotik sistemlere önem vermeleri gerekmektedir (Battour, 2022a). Bu sayede işletmeler helal turizm pazarında kendileri var olabilecek ve varlıklarını daha kolay sürdürebileceklerdir.…”