Halal hospitality goes global: challenges of (not) serving alcohol in an Islamic tourist destination: a case study of Egypt

Abstract

Purpose The study investigates perceptions and debate that are linked to the relationship between religion, alcohol, tourism and hospitality within the context of an Islamic tourist destination. An analytical approach involving a review of literature, assessment of conservationists’ attitude representing Islam and Christianity, and current trends using a student sample to determine intentions is used. The study findings suggest that alcohol and religiosity are not compatible, use, abuse and dependency are more common among non-believers than believers. A tense dispute continues in the Arab World around alcohol. The study contributes to the literature by highlighting economics, social practice, theoretical and managerial implications related to alcohol service in Egypt and suggests a way forward for global Muslim staff working in the hospitality, tourism, and travel industries. Design/methodology/approach The study uses an analytical approach involving a review of literature, assessment of conservationists’ attitude representing Islam and Christianity and current trends using a student sample to determine intentions. Findings The study findings suggest that alcohol and religiosity are not compatible, use, abuse and dependency are more common among non-believers than believers. A tense dispute continues in the Arab World around alcohol. Research limitations/Implications The study is assessing the relationship between religion, alcohol, hospitality and tourism within the context of Egypt, advances knowledge about halal tourism and hospitality by explicitly linking religious obligations and the implication on tourism. The findings should be used with caution considering the subjectivity of responses and the size of the sample. Practical implications The service/hospitality industry managers could be Muslims or non-Muslims representing major airlines, hotels and restaurants where alcohol is served by Muslim employees. These managers should consider avoiding the sale or serving of alcohol completely, and if not, they must not force their workers to serve alcohol if they chose not to. Social implications Faith-based (e.g. Muslims, Seventh Day Adventists and Mormons), ideological or ethically driven alternative services should be created for the staff concerned with alcohol service/consumption. Employment is to be provided to adherents of these faiths or ideologies as an alternative resort.

The perception of halal concept of hoteliers in the light of social exchange theory: a Swedish study

“…They are business owners or representatives of business owners, and it is their basic instinctive norm that the business is run by profit. In other words, they confirm what earlier research (Afifi et al, 2021;Joeliaty et al, 2020;Junaidi, 2020) proposes regarding how tough this kind of hotel management is, in particular in a non-Muslim country (Jia and Chaozhi, 2020). Predominant base of their customers' segments are non-Muslims who consume alcohol and non-halal food that the hotels earn too much from to want to risk losing that business.…”

“…Muslim-friendly hotels are less restrictive, less demanding and less conservative compared to complete halal hotels (Battour, 2018). Nevertheless, this concept can also be a big challenge for many hoteliers who are not allowed to sell alcohol and thereby lose a lot of their revenue (Afifi et al, 2021). However, the service quality is measured by the guests in quite different ways when it comes to halal hotels (Jeaheng et al, 2020;Suci et al, 2021).…”

Intellectual property synergies: merging halal certification with Indonesian communal intellectual property rights laws

“…Halal is a concept introduced by the religion of Islam, which has its own set of principles and even laws, under the concept of Sharia Law (Atiah & Fatoni, 2019;Hidayatullah, 2020). In Islamic law, the consumption of alcohol is forbidden, as indicated in the Quran surah 5:90 (Afifi, Mohsin, & Farouk, 2021). However, certain halal standards permit alcohol if its concentration in the final product is less than 0.1%, provided the alcohol is not derived from khamr (fermented or distilled beverage) (Abdallah, Rahem, & Pasqualone, 2021).…”

How Far Has Halal Travel Been Studied?

“…And other research that is also relevant to this topic includes Afifi et al (2021) explaining the challenges of not serving alcoholic beverages in Islamic tourist destinations in halal hospitality. Kurniawan & Jatimika (2021) 2020) examined the impact of non-Muslim tourists' perceptions of halal products or services on their intentional loyalty to halal tourism destinations.…”