Understanding Muslim Customer Satisfaction with Halal Destinations: The Effects of Traditional and Islamic Values

Abstract

Only limited research has examined the role of religion in a tourism context. This study examines the moderating role of religion in the relationships between value and customer satisfaction. This paper poses the question: Does religiosity moderate the relationships among traditional value, Islamic value and customer satisfaction with the halal destination? The study aims to test empirically the effect of traditional value and Islamic religious value on customers’ satisfaction with a halal destination. Moreover, the study also analyses the moderating role of religiosity in the relationship between Islamic value and customers’ satisfaction with a halal destination. A total of 295 questionnaires consisting of 40 items was distributed to Muslim tourists on-line through survey sites and off-line at Lombok Island. Lombok was employed because it was chosen as the Best Halal Tourist Destination and the Best Halal Honeymoon Destination during the World Halal Travel Awards 2015 held in Abu Dhabi. The direct relationships and moderation effects of religiosity were assessed using structural equation modeling with AMOS 18.0. The results clearly indicated that it is only traditional value which significantly and directly influences customers’ satisfaction with a halal destination while Islamic value has no significant influence on customers’ satisfaction. Islamic value, specifically non-physical Islamic attributes, significantly influences customers’ satisfaction only under the moderation of religiosity. Thus, destination marketers should deliver highly traditional value to create high customer satisfaction with halal destinations. Marketers should also consider non-physical Islamic attributes such as segregation of service delivery when they target consumers with high religiosity to attract more Muslim tourists.