Islamic Tourism

Islamic tourism is not purely motivated by religion; it also includes participants pursuing similar leisure experiences to non-Muslims, within the parameters set by Islam. Destinations are therefore not necessarily locations where Shari'a or full Islamic law is enforced. Demand for Islamic tourism destinations is increasing as the Muslim population expands, with the market forecast to be worth around US$238 billion. This book explores the ever-widening gap between the religious, tourism, management and education sectors. It provides practical applications, models and illustrations of religious tourism and pilgrimage management from a variety of international perspectives, and introduces theories and models in an accessible structure. The book: - Includes a range of contemporary case studies of religious and pilgrimage activities. - Covers ancient, sacred and emerging tourist destinations. - Reviews new forms of pilgrimage, faith systems and quasi-religious activities. This book offers an engaging assessment of the linkages and interconnections between Muslim consumers and the places they visit. It provides an important analysis for researchers of religious tourism, pilgrimage and related subjects.

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.

"This book offers in-depth perspectives on the influence of Islam on consumer behavior, the travel industry, product development, and the promotion of goods and services, focusing on current trends and tools, comprehensive interviews, questionnaires, and emerging research"--Provided by publisher.

"Tourism is a complicated concept that covers a wide range of social, behavioural, economic, political, cultural, and environmental considerations. The concept of tourism consists of a set of activities, services, and benefits which all give tourists particular experiences. Islam is considered a major tourism market globally; however, special values of Muslims who have particular needs in their system of beliefs have not been well defined in the tourism market. Islamic tourism is all marketing and product development effort that are directed at Muslims, even without completely religious motivations. Efforts that emphasize the significance of Muslim and non-Muslim tourists as new markets and destinations for tourism; In other words, such efforts try to promote tourism among Muslims, develop new tourism destinations, and strengthen inter-organization and inter-government cooperation in the Islamic World. The religious-conservative concept for Islamic tourism has not yet been theoretically articulated. But various opinions and remarks in the discussions on the future of tourism in the Arab and Islam worlds as well as some practices of hotels managements indicate that articulations and implementations are just a matter of time. The whole idea is based on the conservative interpretation and understanding of Islam. Merging elements of the extremely conservative Islamic lifestyle with the modern tourism industry could indeed present new tourism options, spaces, and spheres. Excluding the fundamental isolationistic views which reject practically any tourism activities beyond pilgrimage, the religious-conservative concepts may be described as community tourism. Islamic resorts and hotels as well as Islamic destinations and programs are shaping some tourist activities; Islamic resorts funded and owned by Islamic finance institutions, alcohol-free accommodations, no in-door disco/nightlife hotels, gendersegregated fitness and sport facilities, conservative in-door dress-codex, availability of prayerrooms on site, women floors and Islamic entertainment programs. Many elements of this concept are indeed implemented in the domestic tourism in Saudi Arabia and Iran. Halal tourism is a subcategory of tourism which is geared towards Muslim families who abide by rules of Islam. The hotels in such destinations do not serve alcohol and have separate swimming pools and spa facilities for men and women. Malaysia, Turkey and many more countries are trying to attract Muslim tourists from all over the world offering facilities in accordance with the religious beliefs of Muslim tourists. The Halal tourism industry also provides flights where no alcohol or pork products are served, prayer timings are announced, and religious programs are broadcast as part of entertainment offered on board. The cultural concept for Islamic tourism includes visions and ideas that outline the inclusion of Islamic religiouscultural sites in tourism programs with "pedagogical and self-confidence-building elements. It tries to encourage a re-orientation inside the tourist destinations towards less consumption and western-culture loaded sites towards more Islamic historical, religious and cultural sites. The economic concept for Islamic tourism is an extension and expansion oriented concept which focuses on the importance of intra-Muslim and intra-Arab tourism in terms of inclusion of new tourist markets and tourist destinations. The economic concept is the most wide-spread and widely discussed in the Arab and Muslim worlds at different levels. It considers the Muslim countries as one of the emerging tourist markets of the future with huge economic, demographic and destination potential. This book, Islamic Tourism, focuses on such issues as engagement (by Muslims), places (Islamic destinations), products (residential places, foods, and beverage), dimensions (economic, cultural, religious, etc), and managing service processes (marketing and ethical issues)."

Special interest tourism is growing rapidly due to a discerning and heterogeneous travel market and the demand for more focused activity or interest-based tourism experiences. This book approaches the topic from the perspective of both supply and demand, and addresses the complexities now inherent in this area of tourism. It presents a contextualised overview of contemporary academic research, concepts, principles and industry-based practice insights, and also considers the future of special interest tourism in light of the emergence of ethical consumerism. Sometimes referred to as niche or contemporary tourism, this book provides a complete introduction to the study of special interest tourism for students.

Over generations, human society has woven a rich tapestry of culture, art, architecture, and history, personified in artifacts, monuments, and landmarks arrayed across the globe. Individual communities are looking to exploit these local treasures for the benefit of the travelers who come to see them. Hospitality, Travel, and Tourism: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications considers the effect of cultural heritage and destinations of interest on the global economy from the viewpoints of both visitor and host. This broadly-focused, multi-volume reference will provide unique insights for travelers, business leaders, sightseers, cultural preservationists, and others interested in the unique variety of human ingenuity and innovation around the world.

This book contains 35 papers from the Tourism Outlook Conference held in Lombok, Indonesia in July 2015. The book presents comprehensive discussions on sustainability in the tourism industry. It includes research on various constituents of the tourism sector and analyses of each of them from a sustainability standpoint. Case studies that are global in nature are presented to show how sustainable applications can be used and how concerns can be addressed. The book is a response to rapid change in contemporary tourism trends brought about by global economic and social forces such as development pressures, population growth, major resource extraction, industrial fishing, global climate change and steadily rising sea levels. Balancing Development and Sustainability in Tourism Destinations serves as a platform for students and educators, government agency employees, hospitality and tourism industry practitioners, public and private land managers, community development workers, and others interested in identifying practical solutions, charting new directions, and creating opportunities for sustainable tourism development.

This book explores the potential of halal tourism development and its implementation in Ethiopia. The insights presented assist key stakeholders to make informed decisions concerning commercial strategy, profitability and feasibility of halal tourism from the secular perspective. This innovative book offers a unique contribution to halal tourism, being the first of its kind to assess halal tourism development in developing countries. It provides a clear understanding of what halal tourism means, how it has evolved and the current status of the industry. The book considers the prospects of halal tourism, including the conceptual and practical challenges of halal tourism development. The example of halal tourism in Ethiopia is explored to provide a lens through which deeper understandings can be drawn on where and how to develop halal tourism This book will be of interest to, researchers, students in the disciplines of tourism, anthropology, geography, business administration and sociology. It also provides useful insights for policy makers, planners and professionals in the hospitality and tourism industry.