Generic and Islamic attributes for non-Muslim majority destinations: application of the three-factor theory of customer satisfaction

Abstract

To provide Muslim-friendly tourism and attract Muslim tourists, destination marketers must not only consider the generic attributes commonly available at the destination, they must also ensure the availability of attributes that serve the needs of Muslim tourists: Islamic attributes. This study identifies and classifies generic and Islamic attributes as basic, performance, and excitement factors in accordance with the three-factor theory of customer satisfaction to emphasise that the three factors may have different impacts on tourist satisfaction. This study also examines the influence of the three factors on satisfaction and the consequences of satisfaction on tourists' behavioural and attitudinal loyalty. 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 attributes, only the classification of excitement factors significantly affected their satisfaction. The consequences of satisfaction were also found to have a significant effect on increasing tourists’ behavioural and attitudinal loyalty.