Muslim Friendly Tourism:
Developing and Marketing MFT Products and Services
In the OIC Member Countries
30
2.2 Muslim Travelers’ Journey and Preferences
Islam prescribes a halal way of life to its adherents, which means that Muslim consumption
behavior and patterns are governed by Islamic beliefs. It follows that the choice of a tourism
destination for Muslims is influenced by the availability of Muslim-friendly amenities and
services that cater for their needs. The influence of religion goes beyond destination choice to
hotel selection, service expectations, food consumption and preferences for Muslim-friendly
activities.38 A number of studies have attempted to identify Muslim traveler needs and their
relative importance in terms of consumer decision making. Availability of Halal food, prayer
areas, segregated entertainment facilities, and not offering alcohol, gambling and adult
channels are among the list of Muslim traveler needs proposed by academics. 39
1. Muslim Traveler Survey Profile
To have a clear understanding of the relative importance of these needs and their effect on
Muslim traveler decision making with regard to destinations in general and to tourism
products and services provided at destinations in particular, a global online consumer survey
was conducted from March 6th to April 20 th, 2016. The findings of the survey, with regard to
traveler journey, consumer destination selection criteria, and religious needs at various
journey touchpoints, are presented in the following parts of this section.
The survey total sample included 1120
respondents. It consisted of 56% female and 44%
male respondents. With respect to the age
composition of the sample, 43% of the respondents
were aged from 25-35, a quarter of the
respondents were aged from 36-45. Another 18%
of the respondents were over 45 years of age and
the rest were aged from 18 -25.
As for their marital status, half of the sample
respondents were married with children, while
more than a quarter of the respondents (28%) are
single. Another 14% of the respondents were
married without children, and the rest were either
engaged, divorced or widowed. More than half of
the respondents (55%) were university degree
holders; another 35% held post graduate degrees
while the rest held school degrees.
With regard to their occupation, 42% worked in
the private sector and another 17% in the public
sector, while 16% were business owners, 11%
were home makers, and 10% were students. The
rest of the respondents (4%) were unemployed.
Table 1: Sample Demographics
Gender % of Respondents
Male 44
Female 56
Age % of Respondents
18-25 14
25-35 43
36-45 25
Over 45 18
Marital Status % of Respondents
Single 27.9
Married without
children
14.1
Married with
children
50.4
Other 7.5
Education % of Respondents
School Degree 10
College/University 55
Post Graduate 35
Occupation % of
Respondents
Private Sector Employee 42
38 Mohamed A. Nassar , Mohamed MMostafa , Yvette Reisinger. (2015) "Factors Influencing Travel to Islamic Destinations:
an Empirical Analysis of Kuwaiti Nationals", International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 9: .36 -
53
39 Battour, Mohamed, Moustafa Battor, and Muhammad Awais Bhatti. "Islamic Attributes of Destination: Construct
Development and Measurement Validation, and Their Impact on Tourist Satisfaction." International Journal of Tourism
Research 16.6 (2014): 556-564.