ASSESSING THE IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES OF SHARIAH-COMPLIANT IN MUSLIM-FRIENDLY TOURISM DESTINATIONS: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7i2.1097Keywords:
Muslim-friendly tourism, shariah-compliant practices, halal tourism challenges, destination governance, inclusive tourismAbstract
Many cities and resorts have become more aware of Muslim visitors recently and have accordingly been striving, in one way or another, to accommodate these travellers. Despite its increasing relevance, the implementation of Shariah-compliant practices in various Muslim-friendly tourism destinations remains uneven and complex. This review primarily seeks to determine the main challenges faced in adopting Shariah-compliant methods within Muslim-friendly tourism locations from a global viewpoint. This research paper is framed based on a narrative review methodology evaluating and combining the pre-existing research about Shariah-compliant practices' introduction obstacles in the Muslim-friendly tourism category. The results show several implementation challenges of shariah-compliant practices in Muslim-friendly tourism destinations from a global perspective, including: (a) inconsistent interpretation of shariah standards across regions; (b) high costs and resource constraints for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); (c) cultural resistance and lack of awareness among local staff and communities; (d) regulatory and policy gaps in non-Muslim-majority countries; and (e) perception of exclusivity deterring broader market appeal. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the implementation of Shariah-compliant practices in Muslim-friendly tourism destinations is shaped by a combination of regulatory inconsistencies, resource constraints, cultural resistance, and market perception challenges.
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