The Routledge Handbook of Halal Hospitality and Islamic Tourism

C. Michael Hall, Girish Prayag

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• eBook ISBN: 9781351367035
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Islamic Theology
• Index: Business

The Routledge Handbook of Halal Hospitality and Islamic Tourism provides a greater understanding of the current debates associated with Islamic tourism and halal hospitality in the context of businesses, communities, destinations, and the wider socio-political context. It therefore sheds substantial light on one of the most significant travel and consumer markets in the world today and the important role of religion in contemporary hospitality and tourism.

The book examines halal hospitality and lodging, Islamic markets, product developments, heritage, certification, and emerging and future trends and issues. It integrates case studies from a range of countries and destinations and in doing so emphasises the significant differences that exist with respect to regulating and commodifying halal, as well as stressing that the Islamic market is not monolithic. Written by highly regarded international academics, it offers a range of perspectives and enables a comprehensive discussion of this integral part of Islam and contemporary society.

This handbook will be of significant interest to upper level students, researchers, and academics in the various disciplines of Tourism, Hospitality, Food Studies, Marketing, Religious Studies, Geography, Sociology, and Islamic Studies.

1

INTRODUCTION TO HALAL HOSPITALITY AND ISLAMIC TOURISM

C. Michael Hall, Nor Hidayatun Abdul Razak, and Girish Prayag

Introduction

Halal means permissible in Arabic and the concept is a cornerstone of Islam and is used to refer to what is permissible to Muslims. For many non-Muslims, the idea of halal is often thought to relate only to food and what is allowed to be consumed by Muslims (Regenstein, Chaudry & Regenstein 2003; Riaz & Chaudry 2004; Bonne & Verbeke 2008). However, although important, the notion of halal is much wider than just food and relates to all aspects of life (Wilson & Liu 2011). The source of what constitutes halal and haram is derived from the Quran, The prophet’s Hadith (the Prophet Mohammed’s teachings), and what Islamic jurists have deemed as haram (forbidden).

In recent years the notion of halal tourism and hospitality has become an increasingly important part of the global tourism and hospitality industry and has also received much greater recognition in the academic literature. Of course, if we are honest, by this we mean that the Islamic market and its hospitality and tourism needs has finally become recognised as economically significant by people, usually from Western countries or companies, who are not of the Islamic faith, although the economic potential of the halal market has also become a focus of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries. It has become a part of, what Rudnyckyj (2009) terms, “the spiritual economy”. But such economic recognition is only part of the story. Certification of halal and the development of specific standards provide new opportunities for international trade and competitiveness, including the positioning of countries within the Islamic world as they vie for political and economic leadership and advantage, as well as positioning of Islam within their own countries. Globalisation and the expansion of international tourism also means that a number of Muslim majority countries have also become important international tourism destinations in their own right, while migration has also meant the growth of significant Muslim minorities in Europe, the Americas, and Australasia. This has meant that there is also now greater cultural recognition of Islam and the need to better understand the implications of the faith for tourism and hospitality by industry, tourists and policy-makers as well as the measures undertaken by businesses and governments to meet the needs of Muslim travellers and visitors.

Telfer (1996: 83) defines hospitality as “the giving of food, drink and sometimes accommodation to people who are not regular members of a household” (see also Telfer 2000). The religious dimensions of tourism and hospitality have been given increased attention in the academic literature. For example, with respect to pilgrimage (Henderson 2011), religious needs (Weidenfeld 2006), religious lodging experience (Hung 2015), religious issues and patterns (Din 1989), religious facilities (Shuriye & Che Daud 2014), certification (Aziz & Chok 2013; Abdul, Ismail, & Mustapha 2013; Marzuki, Hall, & Ballantine 2012a), and religious identity (Eum 2008). However, the religious dimensions of hospitality indicate the potential for tensions between the commercial material and technical dimensions of hospitality and tourism industry services and the social relationship between host and guest which may be highly influenced by religious belief systems and different cultures of hospitality (Aramberri 2001; Carboni & Janati 2016; Siddiqui 2015; Kushimoto 2017; Yarbakhsh 2018).

Seen from the perspective of economic exchange, hospitality can be defined as “the method of production by which the needs of the proposed guest are satisfied to the utmost and that means a supply of goods and services in a quantity and quality desired by the guest and at a price that is acceptable to him [sic] so that he [sic] feels the product is worth the price” (Tideman 1983: 1). Yet despite the centrality of economic exchange in commercial hospitality relationships, hospitality is also a socio-cultural domain in which there are “requirements to offer shelter to strangers, to provide food and drink and protection from danger. These obligations extended to all, irrespective of status or origins” (Lashley 2008: 71). Both hosts and guests are expected to respect each other in giving and accepting the hospitality. In many countries, these obligations originate from cultural or religious beliefs that function in tandem with economic relationships. Furthermore, any division between hospitality in terms of commercial operations and hospitality in the home is also breaking down or at least becoming more fluid given the growth of operations such as Airbnb and the commercial home (Gössling & Hall 2019; Hall 2009). Indeed, the social dimensions of hospitality are often promoted as a point of differentiation by many commercial providers whether large or small (Lashley 2008).

Nevertheless, commercial hospitality operations emphasise that the hospitality provider “provides, and fulfils” (King 1995: 229) the customer’s requirements. According to King, hospitality in the commercial context is

a specific kind of relationship between individuals—a host and a guest. In this relationship, the host understands what would give pleasure to the guest and enhance his or her comfort and well-being, and delivers it generously and flawlessly in face to face interactions, with deference, tactfulness and the process of social ritual. The objective is to enhance guest satisfaction and develop repeat business.

(King 1995: 229)

Yet, if King’s statement is considered in relation to the religious beliefs of hospitality suppliers and consumers, it is clear that tensions between commercial and religious understandings of hospitality concept could be difficult to manage both between and within people (Saad, Ali, & Abdel-Ati 2014). Furthermore, not being able to meet religious requirements may have commercial consequences, for example, Muslim customers may not be comfortable with some accommodation services and be dissatisfied or not even purchase them (Laila, Kholidah, & Abdurrahman 2012) while providers may miss the opportunity to penetrate local and global markets (Samori, Ishak, & Kassan 2014). The need to understand the religious requirements of customers should therefore be part of a broader improved cultural understanding strategy in tourism and hospitality education, training, and research programmes for those working in the sector. In the case of the present book this is clearly focused on Islam, but it is readily apparent that in the global tourism and hospitality marketplace other religious beliefs also require greater understanding.

This first introductory chapter introduces the reader to some of the issues surrounding religion, hospitality, and the host–guest relationship in both a general religious context and with respect to Islam. A major theme highlighted in this chapter, and throughout the book, is the apparent tension between religious and commercial needs, including the interpretation of what hospitality actually means. The chapter also provides a brief introduction to Islamic tourism and hospitality before the concept of halal hospitality is discussed in further detail in the following chapter.

Religion, hospitality, and the host–guest relationship

Religion is arguably essential to understanding the development of the host–guest relationship in hospitality. According to Aramberri (2001) host–guest relationships in the pre-modern era of hospitality are based on three features: protection, reciprocity, and duties for both sides (host and guest). Religious teachings are a means to structure and inform such features. For example, Siddiqui (2015) linked the scriptures of the three Abrahamic religions—Christianity, Judaism, and Islam—to the host–guest relationship. She stresses the obligation of hosts to treat the guests well as a reflection of the worship of God based on the story of Prophet Abraham welcoming guests in Genesis 18:1–10, and serving food (calf) in Quran 51:24–30 and Hebrews 13:2. In fact, generosity and life-giving qualities in hospitality are seen potentially to create the possibility of long-term relationships with others (Burgess 1982). However, Aramberri (2001) argued that pre-modern traditions of host–guest relationships do not work in the modern hospitality industry as it is not a long-term relationship that requires reciprocity if the roles are swapped in the future. In addition, the long-term relationship exists more based on the provider–customer relationship (i.e. a loyal customer relationship) that involves a monetary transaction (Lugosi 2008). Arguably, providers may not be able to be genuine in the commercial context (Lashley & Morrison 2000) as substantial pressures may exist between hospitableness (i.e. generosity) and its costs to the business (Hemmington 2007; Weidenfeld 2006).

Kirillova, Gilmetdinova, and Lehto (2014) also indicate that religion is an important factor in host–guest relationships and suggest that religious differences between host and guest can be a threat to positive hospitality service (see also Wijesinghe 2007). Nevertheless, O’Gorman (2009) notes that commercial hospitality does portray some aspects of humanity and spirituality. He argues that protection and security are still offered to guests in contemporary hospitality practices such as by strictly following security protocols, providing CCTV, and strong linkages with police, fire, and other security personnel in order to increase security (Cowell, McDavid, & Saunders 2012). In such cases the generosity in safeguarding the customers’ security is shown through the effort given by the providers.

Studies on hospitality in a religious context are relatively limited (Kirillova et al. 2014; Timothy & Iverson 2006; Weidenfeld 2006). Kirillova et al.’s (2014) study on the interpretation of hospitality across different religions, found that Muslim and Christian participants interpreted hospitality as helping those in need among their own community and then extending it to strangers. Such interpretations emphasise the priority of hospitality towards members of a community instead of to total strangers, as typically occurs in commercial host–guest relations. Kirillova et al. (2014) also claimed that specific teachings associated with each religion possibly influence interpretations of appropriate hospitality behaviours. For example, Christians are expected to love their neighbours as they love themselves, Muslims should be generously hospitable to neighbours, and Buddhists should be hospitable and charitable to friends, relatives, and neighbours. However, these representations are from those who are considered religious in the context of their respective religion rather than the commercial context of hospitality (Chambers 2009).

Hospitality in a religious context can involve rituals or collective acts of worship to religious commitment that contribute to the development of social relationships through the adoption of common religious values and experience (Hassan 2005, 2007). Meeting the requirements or regulations of belief systems can be challenging to business. A study by Cheung and Yeo-chi King (2004) found that devoted Confucian business providers considered that adhering to Confucian moral values slowed their business growth and reduced profit making, as the values prioritise righteousness over profitability in business dealing. Similarly, halal providers in Muslim and non-Muslim countries face difficulties in ensuring that their tourism packages are strictly halal due to their inability to adhere to the halal concept (Eid & El-Gohary 2015; El-Gohary 2016). Difficulties to commit to religious rituals has led to numerous cases of kosher fraud in the United States and influenced some states to implement disclosure laws to force vendors to show evidence that their kosher products were genuine (Tieman & Hassan 2015). Hence, offering hospitality within the context of religious requirements can be a challenge for providers, especially those who cater to global markets (Hassan 2007), while the role of religiosity is also important in understanding hospitality in the context of the religious requirements of guests.

Religious customers are regarded as customers with requirements that are proscribed by their religious beliefs and that are involved with tourism activities other than pilgrimage (Hung 2015). The needs of religious customers may include specific religious requirements that affect staffing, facilities, servicescape, and information services. Studies on the needs of religious customers have grown given the needs of providers in understanding religious customers’ expectations in multi-religion destinations (Weidenfeld & Ron 2008). Whilst fulfilling religious needs are necessary for customers to practise their daily religious routine, fulfilling such needs can improve their satisfaction with the hospitality and tourism experience (Weidenfeld 2006).

Customers’ religion an...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• List of figures
• List of plates
• List of tables
• List of contributors
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• List of abbreviations
• 1. Introduction to halal hospitality and Islamic tourism
• PART I: Halal hospitality and lodging
• 2. Understanding halal hospitality
• 3. Attributes of Muslim-friendly hospitality service in a process-based model
• 4. Malaysian accommodation providers’ understanding of halal hospitality
• 5. Explaining the competitive advantage of Islamic hotel concepts: insights from malaysia
• 6. Shariah-Compliant Hotel Operations Practices (SCHOP)
• 7. Islamic tourism: the practices of a Shariah-Compliant Hotel in De Palma Hotel, Malaysia
• PART II: Halal markets and developments
• 8. Halal service provision—understated, but not undervalued: a view from Oman
• 9. Exploring Muslim millennials’ perception and value placed on the concept of ‘halal’ in their tourism preferences and behaviours
• 10. Islamic ZiyĀRa and halal hospitality in Palestine: Al-Ḳuds ‘Jerusalem’, al-K̲h̲alīl ‘Hebron’, and Bayt Laḥm ‘Bethlehem’ between 2011 and 2016
• 11. Marketing Europe to Islamic heritage tourists
• 12. The Muslim-friendly option: Tunisia’s (mass) tourism in times of crisis
• 13. Brunei halal tourism outlook
• 14. Meeting the needs of Muslim tourists: the case of Singapore
• 15. Strategies for attracting Muslim tourists without obtaining halal certification: a case study of Takayama City in Japan
• PART III: Heritage tourism
• 16. Urban U Sharia principles in a non-Islamic state
• 17. Is this sacred or what? the holy place and tourism destination at Jabal Haroun, Petra Region, Jordan
• 18. Muharram in Iran: a religio-cultural festival
• PART IV: Emerging issues and relationships in certification
• 19. Halal food certification in China
• 20. Food certification: the relationships between organic and halal certification in Malaysian food retailing
• 21. Halal logistics: empowering competitive advantage and sustainability
• PART V: Issues and challenges
• 22. The challenge of the halal/pork binary for Muslim immigrants in Spain
• 23. Meanings in everyday food encounters for Muslims in Australia
• 24. Halal certification uproar: the Muslim scapegoat as national safety valve
• 25. Commodified religion: the keys to halal food?
• PART VI: Emerging and future issues
• 26. Emerging and future issues in halal hospitality and Islamic tourism
• Index