Malaysian accommodation providers’ understanding of halal hospitality

• Published in: The Routledge Handbook of Halal Hospitality and Islamic Tourism
• Main Author: Razak N.H.A.; Michael Hall C.; Prayag G.
• Format: Book chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor and Francis 2019
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85108751029&doi=10.4324%2f9781315150604-4&partnerID=40&md5=8a00b72c786ec3f35c24ff465fcd8fdf

This study investigates the understanding of halal hospitality among accommodation providers in Malaysia. Although halal hospitality has been studied in different research contexts including locations and types of services, there is still limited knowledge about its understanding among accommodation providers. This study involves a sequential mixed-methods approach starting with qualitative research followed by quantitative research. Qualitative data were collected from 18 accommodation providers through a convenience sampling technique that was thematically analysed. A total of 781 websites of accommodation providers were analysed to identify which halal attributes proposed by Razzaq, Hall and Prayag (2016), such as halal certificate, prayer mat, and prayer facility, were reported on the websites. The results of the content analysis indicated that only 105 (13.4 per cent) websites mentioned halal/halal certified/halal logo, 26 (3.3 per cent) mentioned the availability of a prayer mat, and 67 (8.6 per cent) mentioned availability of a prayer room or similar facilities. These results were somewhat surprising given the avowed focus of Malaysia on promoting the destination as an international halal tourism hub. This study, therefore, helps to guide accommodation providers on promoting the marketing of halal hospitality as well as addressing the lack of contemporary literature on halal hospitality from the accommodation providers’ perspective. © 2020 selection and editorial matter, C. Michael Hall and Girish Prayag.