The competitiveness, challenges and opportunities to accommodate the Halal tourism market: a Sharia-law tourism destination perspectives

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to explore the perception among the tourism stakeholders about Halal tourism competitiveness, challenges and opportunities in Aceh, a Sharia-law tourism destination. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted the qualitative research method and used in-depth interviews with purposively selected 13 Halal tourism stakeholders in Aceh. Findings This study found that the Indonesian Government has aggressively promoted Aceh as one of its main Halal tourist destinations. Despite its popularity in the growing and lucrative Muslim market, the understanding of Halal tourism in Aceh among its stakeholders is still at its infancy level. Besides, although Aceh is a Muslim-majority region, its Halal facilities and services, especially the Halal certification for their foodservice industry, are still lacking compared to their neighbouring competitors. Originality/value This study confirms the scarcity of stakeholder understanding and support challenged and undermined Aceh’s Halal tourism competitiveness. As such, this study sheds light on the original insight that stakeholders’ limited comprehension and backing can hinder Aceh’s Halal tourism competitiveness.