An Importance-Performance Analysis Of Halal Tourism Attributes And Tourist Satisfaction: Evidence From The New Zealand Muslim Community

Tourist satisfaction has a vital role in success destination management. In the context of the Halal tourism market, Muslim tourists have different needs than other tourists, therefore, specific attributes such as Islamic attributes are needed. Many studies of Islamic attributes focus on the context of international tourists' satisfaction. However, no study of tourist satisfaction with Generic and Islamic tourism attributes with Importance-Performance Analysis has been undertaken in a non-Muslim country focusing on the Muslim domestic tourists.

This paper attempts to fill the research gap in the literature by exploring tourist satisfaction with tourism attributes in a non-Muslim country using Importance Performance Analysis and analyse tourism attributes by comparing it to tourists’ characteristics. The research aims are: (i) identify the importance and performance of generic and Islamic destination and accommodation attributes from the New Zealand Muslim domestic tourist perspectives; (ii) investigate Muslim domestic tourists' Satisfaction with New Zealand generic and Islamic destination and accommodation attributes using Importance-Performance Analysis; (iii) analyse differences in generic and Islamic attributes according to different tourists’ characteristics.

This study adopts the post-positivist paradigm with a quantitative research approach. The sample study of 225 Muslim domestic respondents was analysed with relevant statistical analyses. Means analysis, Importance-Performance analysis, and T-test to develop tourists’ characteristics analysis were also implemented to analyse the data.

The finding show that generic attributes were more important than Islamic attributes. Moreover, Islamic attributes need to be enhanced and develop to meet Muslim domestic tourists’ needs and satisfaction. Furthermore, the tourists’ characteristics found (11) significant differences on the attributes, with the most significant differences found in Islamic attributes at destination (5). Additionally, some suggestions affiliated with the practical recommendation and the future development of the New Zealand tourism industry are presented for the destinations and accommodation managers.