DEVELOPING HALAL TRAVEL AND HALAL TOURISM TO PROMOTE ECONOMIC GROWTH: A CONFIRMATORY ANALYSIS

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors of various backgrounds in the literaturehaving to do with halal purchase intention of Muslim travellers on halal travel andtourism sector. It also aims to investigate which antecedents, among all, that have thedominant determinants toward the development of halal travel and tourism purchaseintention. A total of 255 respondents originating from several major cities of West Javawere involved in random sampling technique to measure their personal perceptionon the determinant factors of halal purchase intention. Data were collected throughstructured questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale. The questionnaire has beendivided into two main parts, the first part identifies the respondent identity, while thesecond part provide 6 main sub-part statements on halal awareness, personal societalperception, religious belief, halal marketing, halal travel & tourism, and infrastructure.Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) will be used to acquire the most critical to the leastcritical indicators in explaining purchase intention on halal travel and tourism industrysector. The paper concludes that most customers rely on halal marketing, making itthe dominant determinant factor. Meanwhile, the second dominant determinant ishalal travel and tourism. Then, the third determinant is halal awareness. Religiousbeliefs and personal societal perceptions are the last two priorities. This paper offers adetailed insight into various behaviors of customer’s purchase intention on halal traveland tourism sector as well as delivers a new model of purchase intention throughdetailed latent-variables. Finally, the relevant stakeholders, in particular government,should enhance the halal marketing on travel and tourism through various programsand activities, such as massive promotion, socialization, and literacy.