Abstract:
With the increasing number of Muslim tourists, the implementation of Shariah Compliant Hotels (SCH), in the
hospitality and tourism industry, has emerged as an important issue. Shariah compliance has become an integral factor
that affects Muslim consumers’ choice of hotels. Henceforth, the current research has been crafted primarily to
investigate the factors that may affect Muslim consumers purchase intention of Shariah compliant hotels. Particularly,
this study attempts to determine the association between halal image, halal awareness, religiosity, service quality and
purchase intention of Shariah compliant hotels. For the purpose of attaining these objectives, a conceptual framework
has been derived in accordance to the findings of prior literature. Later on, as the study in quantitative in nature,
primary data have been collected through the employment of self-structured questionnaire from Muslim travelers in
Malaysia particularly, Kuala Lumpur. The collected data were later analyzed through the means of Statistical Package
for Social Sciences (SPSS). From the statistical analysis a number of meaningful findings were derived. The outcomes
of the study revealed that halal image, halal awareness as well as religiosity are significantly related to Muslim
consumers purchase intention toward Shariah compliant hotels whereas; service quality is not significantly associated
to purchase intention. The findings of the study will be of great importance to marketers and hoteliers for developing
effective strategies in order to cater to the needs of the Muslim consumers. From an academic perspective, the study
will open the door for conducting more researches on Shariah compliant hotels in the future.
