Hotels and Halal-oriented Products: What Do Hotel Managers in Slovenia Think?

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Tourists from the Islamic world are significant stakeholders in the tourism market. The purpose of this paper is to identify the key aspects of halal tourism in connection with the hotel industry. Furthermore, we want to determine whether hotel managers are familiar with halal certification and on what basis they would opt for it. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research focuses on halal goods, services, and facilities, in general, and specifically in Slovenian hotels; concepts, contemporary trends, and the situation in Slovenia are presented. In response to the literature review, we applied the analysis of the factor loadings to define the important factors that influence the decision-making process; by applying PCA, we reduced the dependent variable to a single factor (although predictions were slightly different). Findings: The most important elements in the adoption of the certificate are the simplicity and efficiency of the procedure itself and the fact that the process does not require major financial investments. The element that significantly influences the managers' decision-making process is the possibility of adjusting to the standard of the certificate. Conclusion: The paper's main contribution is to deepen the perspective of the development of tourism in an area that remains a relatively undeveloped and unknown niche within the Slovenian tourism/hospitality industry but very promising in the global context.