Search results

This study aims to investigate the attributes of halal tourism with family members by exploring the experiences of Muslims who had travelled with their families to the local islands of the Maldives. This country was chosen as the context of the study as it is a destination with a fully Muslim population, which served as a normative context for studying halal tourism.

A basic qualitative design was adopted as the research methodology, with the data collected through in-depth interviews with the selected Muslim families.

Nine emergent themes unique to the context of halal tourism with family members extend the existing discussion on family tourism and halal tourism. Overall, halal family tourism experience is laden with Islamic family values, characterised by the dimensions of group organisation, safety, practicality, risk management as well as mutual respect and benefit between travellers and providers, and among family members. This experience leads to increased family bonding and the internalisation of Islamic values. Hence, this study highlights halal tourism with family members as a form of dignified tourism.

Travel with the family deserves greater academic attention due to the large market size and the distinctive nature of travel undertaken by groups of individuals bonded through familial relationships. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to explore the attributes of halal tourism with family members, and the normative Islamic context of the local islands of the Maldives assisted in elucidating the emergent themes and values of this form of halal tourism with family members. Halal family tourism, as a nexus of family tourism and halal tourism, offers a huge potential of future research avenue.

This study extends the current understanding of halal tourism at an island destination. Specifically, this study aims to explore the attributes of halal tourism in the local islands of the Maldives, a fully Muslim country where tourism is the primary source of income for residents. To accomplish this, Muslim travellers’ experiences were examined using the process theory of travel, the halal tourism concept and the service marketing perspective.

The study used a qualitative research methodology and conducted interviews with Muslim travellers visiting the local islands of the Maldives.

The findings affirmed the five established generic attributes of halal tourism and generated another three emergent attributes of halal tourism, specific to an island destination. The study further enhances the existing knowledge of the generic attributes of halal food and beverage, prayers and mutual respect and benefits. It also establishes that the dimensions of safety and privacy, value for money, perishability and heterogeneity characterise all the emerging halal tourism attributes. The study concludes that halal tourism is an experience imbued with values that promotes dignified tourism.

The findings on the specific attributes of halal tourism at an island destination extend overall understanding of the halal tourism concept and process. The fact that the Maldives is entirely Muslim offers a unique opportunity to explore the normative attributes of halal tourism in an island destination. This enhanced understanding contributes to effective managerial practices aimed at developing competitive halal tourism services.