Prospects and Potentiality for Halal Tourism Expansion in Bangladesh for Attracting Muslim Travellers
Creators: name: Afnan Nadeem
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024

description: One of the emerging markets for travel worldwide is the Muslim population. Like any other type of tourist, Muslims need leisure time, amusement, and relaxation. The global tourism sector is now compelled to take Muslim Halal tourism into account as a new phenomenon, owing to the increasing number of Muslims across the globe and their unquenchable thirst for travel. This research study intends to examine the effect of halal teachings on Muslim travel behavior, understand the needs and travel patterns of Muslim travelers, and identify alternatives to consuming halal goods and services. It also identifies the market's potential, the challenges in catering to it, and the approaches that work best for catering to this particular market segment by Muslim destination, Bangladesh.

A somewhat mixed methodology (qualitative and quantitative) was used in the study, and 219 questionnaire responses and 17 interviews yielded data for analysis. The qualitative analysis was carried out by hand in compliance with the formal structure, while the quantitative analysis was carried out using SPSS 20's mean, factor analysis, ANOVA, and independent sample t-test.

The survey recognized six essential needs for Muslim travellers: Halal food and courteous conduct, an atmosphere of Islamic hotels, Islamic ethics, amusement and prayer locations, bathroom amenities, and destination selection. Halal food, polite behavior, and access to restrooms are the three most crucial things for Muslim tourists; Islamic hotels, Islamic ethics and amusement, and places of worship rank second and third, respectively, in importance. For Muslims, selecting a place is the least crucial aspect of their travels. The survey also highlighted two other options for consuming Halal goods and services: seafood and seafood-like foods, as well as food that is clearly an alternative and is, in this case, vegetables, fish, and fruits. Additionally, it was discovered that Islamic teachings had an impact on Muslim travel behavior, with some Islamic teachings considerably differing from other groups in terms of education, occupation, religiousness, and gender, but Islamic teachings did not differ in terms of age or marital status.A qualitative investigation revealed that the Muslim tourist industry is sizable and has the capacity to support thriving Halal eateries, travel agencies, and lodging establishments. It also identified nine ways to successfully attract and capitalize on this market opportunity, including ensuring the availability of Halal cuisine, establishing Muslim-friendly hotels, the government's distinct section of tourism for Muslim passengers, creating tourism agreements, offering training resources for tourism staff, advertising, empowering Muslim leaders' the part played by tourism, opening gift shops for Muslim tourists, and English-language apps for smartphones and other languages. The eight challenges identified in this regard were: inadequate amenities; limited suppliers of Halal elements; lack of knowledgeable employees; high price; inadequate representation of Muslim chefs; dealing with non-Muslim customers; achieving trust; and language barriers. Last but not least, limits and suggestions for future research are provided, along with implications for practice.

This research analyses the needs and behavioral patterns of Muslim travelers in depth by combining qualitative and quantitative methods. In enriching the theory of tourists' demand, provides theoretical basis and practical guidance for relevant managers to develop the Muslim tourism market in Bangladesh, which is of theoretical significance and practical value to improve the competitiveness of Bangladesh's tourism industry and thus promote the growth of the local economy.