LEVEL OF ISLAMIC ATTRIBUTES PRACTICES BY MUSLIM FRIENDLY HOTEL IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

Islamic tourism is an innovative tourism that promotes Islamic way of life. The service not only aims for Muslim travellers but also benefited to non-Muslim. One of the various strategies to promote Islamic tourism is to introduce Muslim-friendly hotels (MFHs), and Malaysia could lead the way in doing so. MFH characteristics are still unclear as many hoteliers were perplexed by this circumstance, which hampered hotels' efforts to implement it. So, this study objective to examine level of Islamic attributes practices by the MFH in Malaysia. A total of 380 respondents were selected using a convenient sampling method and data was analyzed using descriptive statistic. The result shown that “Placement of Qibla stickers /direction (Qibla stickers/direction point towards Mecca city)” in hotel’s room most likely favourite variable during guest’s stay in MFH. As an important variable was pointed out, it helps hotel management to market their products and services in proper way. Also, support government to boost up market of halal hotel in future as an effort for branding Malaysia as halal hub globally, in the same time, to help Malaysia’s authorities to determine Islamic attributes that may satisfy the guests’ needs.