Identifying stakeholders’ perspectives on the success factors of halal tourism in the city of Makassar: a group model building approach

Abstract

Purpose Islamic attributes and activities need to be developed in compliance with the halal concept to attract potential Muslim tourists and ensure the success of halal tourism. Although the literature shows that many factors can influence the success of halal tourism, a complete picture of the success factors of halal tourism in a city is still very limited. As such, this explorative study aims to examine stakeholders’ perspectives regarding the antecedents of halal tourism success and the benefits of halal tourism for the city. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative system dynamics modeling was used for this study, and Makassar (a successful halal tourism city) was considered as the basis for the study. A causal loop diagram (CLD) of halal tourism was developed using the group model building technique to elicit stakeholders’ knowledge and assumptions. Network analysis and feedback loop analysis were used to identify the driving factors of successful halal tourism. Findings Two factors need to be taken into account by halal tourism stakeholders in the city: support from the central and local government and improving and maintaining potential tourists’ perceptions of the city. There are four benefits of halal tourism success for the city: an increase in the number of micro-, small- and medium-sized halal businesses in the city, increased support from the central and local government to further develop halal tourism infrastructure in the city, increased word-of-mouth promotion of Makassar as a tourism destination and a decrease in the price of halal tourism components (e.g. food and accommodation). Originality/value The resulting CLD shows the interlinkage between political, societal and economical factors that could influence the success of halal tourism development. In particular, the findings show how governments and tourism stakeholders need to promote halal tourism socialization in the community and improve the public perception of this type of tourism. Therefore, the findings can help destination stakeholders and tourism developers in other cities develop halal tourism potential.

Development of Halal Tourism Potential and Participation of the Ulama Developmental Assembly (Mpu) in a Public Administration Perspective

“…(Destiana et al, 2020) also argue that stakeholder participation must be accompanied by mechanisms that ensure that the policies taken reflect the interests of the public as a whole and that their implementation can be accounted for. Then, (Huda et al, 2022) also emphasized the importance of community participation or stakeholder parties related to halal tourism, regarding the solutions provided to overcome the problem of cultural and religious disagreements. Thus, it can be concluded that community participation, especially from religious institutions, can play an active role in overcoming administrative challenges related to the development of halal tourism through formulating policies that aim to maintain a balance between culture and religion so that they can focus on improving community welfare.…”

Halal tourism beyond 2020: concepts, opportunities and future research directions

“…For Muslim tourists, higher the degree of religious beliefs, higher will be their satisfaction derived out of their traveling experience (Rahman et al , 2021). City halal tourism operators must consider central and local government support and improving and keeping tourists’ attitudes (Huda et al , 2022). More small halal operations, more central and local government assistance for halal tourist infrastructure, more word-of-mouth promotion of Halal tourism destination and reduced prices for halal components benefit the city.…”

“…Local governments must provide an easy-to-use tourism information system for travelers. Through schools and ads, the government should raise awareness of halal tourism (Huda et al , 2022). For policymaker, the current study helps in determining the correct and an efficient way to tackle any such un-foreseen events in accordance with the Islamic norms.…”

Using network analysis to identify leverage points based on causal loop diagrams leads to false inference

“…In seeking alternative methods, network analysis 35 has gained momentum as an accepted practice to quantitatively identify leverage points based on CLDs 8 , 23 – 30 , 36 – 55 —for example in public health 24 , 38 , 45 , 50 , 52 , 53 , 55 . Here, 22 of the 29 papers that we identified that adopt this practice were published in 2021 (4 papers 23 , 25 , 37 , 50 ), 2022 (8 papers 27 , 28 , 43 – 45 , 47 , 49 , 52 ), and 2023 (10 papers to date 26 , 30 , 36 , 38 , 39 , 41 , 42 , 46 , 53 , 55 ). Network analysis seemingly has the potential to mathematically analyse a CLD, which in this context can be considered a network of factors, to systematically find which factors represent leverage points.…”