Fostering Muslim-Friendly Tourism in Minority Destinations: Insights from North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the community’s response to the development of halal tourist destinations in the Muslim-minority region of North Sulawesi Province and to identify appropriate strategies for developing halal tourism, based on internal and external conditions in this region. This study employed a quantitative, explanatory research design to examine Muslim consumers’ intentions to choose Muslim-friendly tourist destinations in North Sulawesi Indonesia, a Muslim-minority. This study uses the Partial Least Squares (PLS) equation model to analyze people’s preferences for halal tourism in North Sulawesi Province. The independent variables are attitudes, subjective norms, behavioral control, and religiosity. Meanwhile, the dependent variable is the intention to choose a halal tourist destination. This research reveals that attitude, subjective norms, and religiosity positively and significantly affect travel intentions, whereas subjective norms have a negative effect. Furthermore, effective strategies for developing Muslim-friendly tourism include adjusting marketing and product development, implementing larger, more effective marketing campaigns, improving access to information and amenities, and developing religious infrastructure in tourist areas. This study contributes to the literature on halal tourism by extending the understanding of Muslim travel intentions in a Muslim-minority context and demonstrating the significant roles of attitudes, subjective norms, and religiosity. The findings imply that halal tourism development in North Sulawesi should adopt context-sensitive strategies that integrate targeted marketing, improved information and tourism amenities, and strengthened religious infrastructure.