Guest editorial

Abstract

Special issue: Globalising halal trade and tourism: the evolving business and marketing eco-system Halal trade and tourism are rapidly burgeoning as industries that offer lucrative business in countries with Muslim majorities as well as in the global market. Fundamental to such rapid growth of the industries are friendly and supportive legal, business and marketing practices at both domestic and international levels. Large-scale production of halal food opened the path to a trade industry that has now successfully expanded into other areas of the market, which led to the promotion of other halal products such as Islamic banking and finance, health care, cosmetics, lifestyle, hospitality and tourism. With such new frontiers for halal industries, issues on good governance, best practices, good manufacturing practices and product standards are speared to the forefront of discussions and must be dealt with to meet prospective consumer demands.The special issue also dwells on Muslim-friendly hospitality and tourism. Although Muslim-friendly hospitality is still in its infancy compared to conventional tourism, however, the concept is rooted in the theory of "respect for dhuyuf (guests)," a theory whose origins could be traced back as early as the coming of Islam. Scholarly work addressing issues revolving around Muslim-friendly tourism such as concepts, practices, prospects and challenges are featured in this special issue.The call for papers for this special issue was first posted in 2018, way before the emergence of COVID-19, which disrupted tourism on a global basis. However, the pandemic has also unearthed greater opportunities or need for a non-physical concept of Islamic tourism such as Islamic "entertainment and creative content" as many of the global population remains locked at home. Drama series like "Ertugrul" showcased Islamic culture and history to the forefront as the world is practically hooked on internet content and streaming sites 24/7. The hunger for good creative content that can be enjoyed by the whole household came to the fore.Another spill-over effect of the pandemic is that it provides the opportunity to reorganise physical tourism sites and packages to be more welcoming and safer to tourists as we expect physical restrictions and social distancing in consequence of the pandemic to remain in place for another few years. Such means that the tourism industries need to revamp their tour packages and destinations to become more meaningful and attractive, as there will be lesser tourists in the years to come.A unique way to enhance our services and products is to build trust in our offerings. Although halal certification is important, we have to leverage other mechanisms that will elicit premium value such as geographical indication, trademark or cultural heritage, to name a few. The need for a trusted system, to filter misinformation and build confidence and loyalty in our product is more imperative now, more than ever. As the famous saying goes, "trust takes years to build, seconds to break and fo...