Abstract
Halal tourism is becoming an emerging niche market to attract Muslim tourists to non-Muslim majority countries. This study aims to assess current conditions associated with the availability of halal-friendly tourism elements and services and future implications for halal tourism in Korea through the lenses of diaspora from Muslim-dominated countries, including Indonesia, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan. A qualitative approach with the descriptive exploratory design was employed and data were collected through in-depth interviews (N = 27) and direct observation. Results in the marketing context indicated that Koreans have basic knowledge of the concept of halal, halal food, halal services, and halal tourism. Muslim residents have a remarkable positive attitude when recommending others to visit Korea as a tourist destination, but the availability of halal tourism is insufficient. Thus, this study contributes to the literature on halal tourism and can serve as an information source for stakeholders and policymakers involved in the halal food market. A few marketing implications are also noted. Muslim consumers are unsatisfied with the facilities of halal tourism. They suggest that tourism organizations, hotel managers, and policymakers improve such facilities according to the sharia-based needs of Muslim tourists.
Bahasa Abstract
Pariwisata halal menjadi salah satu pasar khusus yang muncul untuk menarik wisatawan Muslim ke negara-negara mayoritas non-Muslim. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menilai kondisi saat ini terkait dengan ketersediaan elemen dan layanan pariwisata halal serta implikasi masa depan untuk pariwisata halal di Korea melalui pandangan diaspora dari negara-negara mayoritas Muslim, termasuk Indonesia, Uzbekistan, dan Pakistan. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan desain deskriptif eksploratif. Data dikumpulkan melalui wawancara mendalam (N = 27) dan observasi langsung. Pada konteks pemasaran, hasil studi menunjukkan bahwa orang Korea memiliki pengetahuan dasar tentang konsep, makanan, layanan, dan pariwisata halal. Warga Muslim memiliki sikap positif yang luar biasa ketika merekomendasikan orang lain untuk mengunjungi Korea sebagai tujuan wisata, tetapi ketersediaan pariwisata halal tidak mencukupi. Dengan demikian, penelitian ini berkontribusi pada literatur tentang wisata halal dan dapat berfungsi sebagai sumber informasi bagi para pemangku kepentingan dan pembuat kebijakan yang terlibat dalam pasar makanan halal. Beberapa implikasi pemasaran juga dituliskan pada naskah ini. Konsumen muslim merasa tidak puas dengan fasilitas pariwisata halal. Mereka menyarankan agar organisasi pariwisata, pengelola hotel, dan pembuat kebijakan meningkatkan fasilitas tersebut sesuai dengan kebutuhan wisatawan Muslim berbasis syariah.
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Recommended Citation
Tahira, I. (2022). Muslim Consumers’ Perceptions of Marketing Korea a Muslim-Friendly and Halal Tourism Destination: Future Implications. Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia, 26(2), 95-104. https://doi.org/10.7454/hubs.asia.1090422