Factors influencing Muslim tourists’ decision making on choosing a destination: Case study of Muslim tourists from Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to analyze factors influencing the decision making of Muslim Tourists on choosing their tourist destination. The study estimated the model by applying Gravity Model. The general variables influencing tourist demand as well as the specific variables which impact the Muslim Tourist decision making, Global Muslim Tourism Index (GMTI), are included in the model. The research results show that the gross domestic product (GDP) of the origin country, population of origin country, exchange rate, whether they use the same language, sharing of common border, whether they were visa free, have a direct flight, and being ASEAN countries significantly affect increasing the Muslim tourists’ demand while the distance between an origin country and a destination country has a negative impact on the number of Muslim tourist arrivals. Additionally, Muslim tourists’ requirement variables, which are family friendly destination, number of Muslim visitor arrivals, dining options and assurance, halal friendly accommodation, encourage Muslim tourists to choose the countries as their destinations. The results confirm the Muslim tourists’ specic requirements also significantly influence the decision making. © 2022, Journal of Tourism & Development. All rights reserved.