Islamic tourism: the role of culture and religiosity.

Abstract

Abstract This chapter aims to provide insights into the consumer behaviour of Muslim tourists and their significance as a potential target segment within the context of Halal tourism. More specifically, the chapter intends to discuss the role of religious commitment and culture in impacting Muslim tourist decision-making processes within the Halal tourism sector. The chapter first presents a brief overview of the Halal tourism sector, highlighting the need to target Muslim consumers. This is followed by a section that discusses Muslim tourist travel motivations, particularly in the context of guidance provided by the holy Quran. The chapter then presents and evaluates a stimulus-response model that assesses the extent to which the Muslim tourist consumer responds to the marketing efforts by the Halal tourism industry, and in doing so presents a conceptual framework of the industry-customer interface. The subsequent section describes the role of culture and its dimensions, drawing from the literature in marketing and social psychology. Finally, the chapter concludes with a discussion of recent research that discusses the interaction of religious commitment, cultural orientations and their potential implications for the Halal tourism industry.