Online Disclosure Practices of Halal-friendly Hotels

Muharam, I.; Asutay, M.

Abstract

Purpose: This research analyses the online disclosure practices of halal-friendly hotels, denoting their service provision within “halal” expectancies. This study aims to discover the halal attributes commonly used in the online marketing practices of halal-friendly hotels. Design/methodology/approach: The methods used in this study include a deductive approach through literature, which was then followed by an initial investigation of several random samples that produced 24 points of halal-friendly attributes, and then content analysis to find out the online disclosure practices of 55 halal-friendly hotels. Further insights gathered through analysis of the use of Islamic images and symbols; also, by examining the nexus between the disclosure level and other variables such as halal-friendly certification level, star-level and guest ratings. Findings: The results show that most hotels classify themselves as halal-friendly by providing information that articulates Islamic identity or by informing the existence of prayer facilities. Information displayed includes halal food, halal places, alcohol-free policy, prayer facilities and Qibla direction. Furthermore, image analysis shows that almost all hotels use human photographs, and the preferred gender is male; only a few hotels expose Islamic symbols. Most hotels maintain a neutral impression by avoiding “Islamised gender” and not overly emphasising Islamic images. Otherwise, halal-friendly certification level is positively correlated with the disclosure level. Practical implications: The results provide a fresh insight regarding the online marketing practices of the halal-friendly hotels and could be used as a benchmark by the practitioners.

Citation

Muharam, I., & Asutay, M. (2022). Online Disclosure Practices of Halal-friendly Hotels. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 13(1), 119-132. https://doi.org/10.1108/jima-12-2018-0239

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 1, 2019
• Online Publication Date: May 23, 2019
• Publication Date: Jan 7, 2022
• Deposit Date: May 23, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: May 24, 2019
• Journal: Journal of Islamic Marketing
• Print ISSN: 1759-0833
• Publisher: Emerald
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 13
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 119-132
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/jima-12-2018-0239
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1295826