Halal trails: Islamic tourism in Sarawak

Sarawak is emerging as a promising Muslim-friendly destination, with its tourism industry actively engaging to attract more Muslim tourists to the region. Islamic tourism, as affirmed by Zamani-Farahani and Eid (2021), has the potential to contribute to a more sustainable development by promoting ethical and responsible travel practices that align with Islamic teachings, such as respect for the environment and support for local communities. Today, an increasing number of countries are aware of the economic benefits of catering to Muslim travellers by providing halal-certified amenities and services. Thus, to explore these benefits in relation to Sarawak’s domain, a qualitative approach was employed, involving interviews with key industry players, such as Muslim-friendly tour guides, mosque visit guides, and providers of Muslim-friendly hotels in Sarawak. These participants were specifically chosen for their involvement in the Islamic tourism sector. To gain a broader understanding, additional data were also collected from international Muslim tourists visiting Sarawak. Furthermore, the researchers also conducted on-site observations by visiting various tourist attractions in Sarawak, allowing them to assess the implementation of Islamic tourism in the region directly. The findings allow the stakeholders to be committed to consistently and continuously working with the industry players in the Islamic Tourism Industry. The goal is to build their capacity in Islamic tourism, thus ensuring that the needs of Muslim visitors are better served by taking more initiatives in standardizing Sarawak tourism’s industry with Malaysia’s Islamic Tourism Industry best practices, hoping to establish Sarawak’s credibility as an Islamic tourism destination. The study is hoped to address the research gap on the lack of comprehensive understandingregarding the practical challenges and effectiveness of implementing standardized Islamic tourism practices in Sarawak