Muslim Tourists’ Expectation towards Islamic Hospitality Services in Malaysia

Abstract

Previous studies found that the Muslim traveller population has been increasing and they bring a significant economic impact to the receiving country. Realising this, Malaysia has been stepping up their efforts in order to attract this group of tourist. However, Muslim groups choose the destination that they wish to visit based on several criteria, which were found to be related to their religious obligation. The availability of Muslim friendly attributes is vital because Muslim friendly attributes is one of the most important factor that influence Muslims’ decision when they decide to travel abroad. Although previous studies have indicated the issues regarding Islamic hospitality services with destination selection, they did not emphasize on the importance of these in the context of Malaysia as a travel destination. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the findings that have been gathered from international Muslim tourists to Malaysia in term of how they prioritise the thirteen items under the Islamic hospitality services, which has been classified under accommodation and amenities as well as the availability of halal food. The findings are useful for the policy makers, tourism marketers and also the service providers to understand better about what the Muslim tourists want and need when they are making decision to choose which destination to visit. Keywords: