Inbound Muslim tourists' perceptions toward hospitality service

Abstract

The importance of Muslim friendly tourism has prompted countries and business operators to place more emphasis on this lucrative sector. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Muslim-friendly destination attributes on inbound tourists’ behavioral intention in the context of Thailand. Furthermore, a comparative analysis was conducted to investigate the similarities and differences between Malaysian and Indian Muslim tourists. A total of 666 observations were collected using surveys and the data sets were analyzed via partial least squares structural equation modeling. The empirical results show that both countries have indicated variations in terms of preferences for social environment, services, and facilities. We contribute to the knowledge on the constitutive attributes of the Muslim-friendly destination, while providing theoretical explanations for the differences among Muslim tourists in the Asian markets. Finally, directions for future research are proposed.