Halal holidays: exploring expectations of Muslim-friendly holidays

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the expectations of Muslim tourists when taking a halal holiday. Understanding consumer expectations is an important factor in any service context since expectations determine whether the consumer is satisfied or dissatisfied with the service outcome.Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory approach was adopted and in-depth interviews with Muslim tourists and halal holiday providers were undertaken. Findings:The findings identified services and facilities Muslim consumers expect from a halal holiday and those they did not expect to see. Factors such as halal food, women-only facilities and dress codes were identified as services and facilities that are expected, whereas no alcohol was seen to be an important factor for Muslim tourists. Research limitations/implications:This exploratory study used a small sample and hence the findings should not be seen to be generalisable. However, the study provides a number of valuable insights into the expectations of Muslim leisure tourists. Halal travel organisations and tourism boards will benefit from a better understanding of factors that influence the satisfaction/dissatisfaction of Muslim tourists.Originality/value: The study makes three main contributions to our understanding of halal holidays. First, the study identifies expectations that are likely to influence satisfaction, such as halal food and women-only facilities. Second, the study highlights those expectations which are likely to cause dissatisfaction for halal holidaymakers, such as alcohol and dress codes. Third, the study highlights the difference in expectations which exist between halal holidaymakers and how the interpretation and practice of Islam is highly varied.

Halal holidays: How is value perceived by Muslim tourists?

“…Consistent with prior studies conducted by Eid and El-Gohary (2015a) and Wingett and Turnbull (2017), several reviews on halal tourism state that Islamic values have a significant effect on Muslim travellers (e.g., Battour & Ismail, 2016;Henderson, 2010a From a methodological perspective, this work contributes to the limited empirical research on Muslim consumers' perceived value in the context of travel and tourism by being, to the best of our knowledge, the first in-depth qualitative study. By integrating the findings, we have been able to present a conceptual framework that could be tested and validated in the future using a quantitative approach.…”

“…Moreover, when consumers make purchase decisions, the availability of physical and nonphysical Islamic attributes are considered as being important (Battour et al, ; Eid & El‐Gohary, ). Consistent with prior studies conducted by Eid and El‐Gohary () and Wingett and Turnbull (), several reviews on halal tourism state that Islamic values have a significant effect on Muslim travellers (e.g., Battour & Ismail, ; Henderson, ). These include the need for halal food (in accommodation and on flights), no alcohol, and prayer facilities (easy access to a mosque, the Qibla direction).…”

“…Religion also has a significant influence on tourism choices of individuals (Jafari & Scott, ). In the context of tourism, the effect of religion and religiosity is, however, still underresearched, particularly with respect to Muslim consumers (Jafari & Scott, ; Wingett & Turnbull, ). This study seeks to fill this void by exploring how Muslim consumers identify perceive value when making travel decisions, and the role of Islamic consumption values in relation to halal holidays.…”

“…Religion also has a significant influence on tourism choices of individuals (Jafari & Scott, 2014). In the context of tourism, the effect of religion and religiosity is, however, still underresearched, particularly with respect to Muslim consumers (Jafari & Scott, 2014;Wingett & Turnbull, 2017 Epistemic value is often gained through curiosity or novelty and through knowledge seeking (Sheth et al, 1991). Consumption experiences are often considered as unique, memorable, and personal (Pine & Gilmore, 1998).…”

“…Halal tourism involves tourism activities undertaken by Muslims for “recreational, leisure and social purposes” (Ryan, , p. 121). A halal holiday is considered as “one that allows Muslim tourists to go on a holiday while remaining true to their religion” (Wingett & Turnbull, , p. 652). An important aspect of halal tourism is the need for products and services to meet the values of halal, who represent the “end‐user of goods and services which are expected to be Halal compliant” (Mohsin et al, , p. 138).…”