Tourism In The Muslim World

Provides a synthesis of thought on an influential issue for tourism, and a point of focus for tourism researchers, managers and developers in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Maldives and Turkey, as well as the Western world.

"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)."

Currently, tourism has become a popular global leisure activity and it is vital for many countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Lebanon, Egypt, Spain, Greece, due to the large intake of money for business with their goods and services. Tourism industry is always overstated by Islamic attributes especially Islamic belief for its special rules and regulations. The outcomes of Islamic tourism may have a wider pertinence beyond the special circumstances of this country. Muslims make up around 25 per cent of the world's population with significant numbers in practically all countries of the world. Tourism is a major market in Muslim countries such as Morocco, Turkey, Egypt and Malaysia, nevertheless less than 10% of international tourism returns goes to this market.From a tourism perspective, there are many significant reasons to study tourism and the Muslim world. The annual religious pilgrimage, the Hajj, performed in Saudi Arabia, is obligatory at some point in the life of every Muslim of sufficient means. In many nations, Islam is the foundation of society and order of law and its principles underpin considerations of tourism. This industry has been increasing embraced by developing countries as a means of economic diversification and Islamic countries seek the same end. This leads to the interaction of religious beliefs and choices about the types of tourism that may be desirable, resulting in its development potentially becoming a political issue. Tourism and Islam is very important issue, therefore there a need for a comprehensive research on Islamic attributes and its effect on the motivational factors and Islamic tourist's satisfaction as well as destination loyalty. In terms of targeting Islamic tourists, tourism industry in Islamic world should focus the Islamic attributes available for the tourists to keep them satisfied. Tourism in Islamic Countries is concerned with the effects of religion on tourism development in Muslim countries. Aspects of the relationship between Islam and tourism are investigated overall and issues of tourism policies, management and marketing and community involvement are discoursed. It examines the dynamics that drive changes in the religio-political landscape of the Muslim world.

This book focuses on women in tourism in Muslim countries, specifically where a woman can be seen as a tourism consumer, or a woman producing tourism. This book discusses the role of women in the Muslim world and founds that socio-culturally Islam has a greater impact on women than men. The process of identity construction and the religious values of women have also been extensively researched. But little is known about the role of Muslim women in the tourism industry and this book addresses these themes in the Asian context. This book explores these ideas as defined key categories; Muslim women from Asia travelling to a non-Muslim country, non-Muslim women travelling to Asian Muslim countries, and Women working in the tourism field in Muslim countries. This book highlights Asian countries as holding a complex mixture of cultures and identities. As Muslim communities are central in many Asian countries the tourism experience is different mainly because of cultural norms and religion. Ultimately, this book examines whether and how these complexities enrich both women and tourism industry within Asian context.

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.

This book is the first to explore Arabic tourism from a business viewpoint, rather than taking a sociological, anthropological or political stance. It focuses on business planning, management and marketing destinations in the Arab World, which are topics crucial for industry stakeholders and which have previously been neglected in the tourism literature. The book examines similarities and differences in the emergence and development of the tourism industry in countries across the Arab world as well as its inbound and outbound travel flows. It analyses several different aspects of Arabic tourism including tourism policy, organisation and planning, tourism product development, destination marketing and consumer behaviour. This volume will be of interest to postgraduate students and researchers of tourism studies, business and Middle Eastern 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.