POTENTIAL OF HALAL TOURISM IN GUESTHOUSE ACCOMMODATIONS

Abstract

The Maldives has firmly established its position as a luxury tourism destination over the past five decades. With its unique “one island one resort” tourism model the Maldives has been a popular holiday destination for the ultra-rich. However, with the introduction of guesthouse tourism, the Maldives no longer limited to the wealthy tourists only. The purpose of this paper to explore the potential of halal tourism within the guesthouse accommodations in the Maldives. This paper examines the antecedents of halal tourism and its alignment with the guesthouse accommodations in the Maldives. As a hundred percent Muslim country, the Maldives prohibits non-halal food and beverages and shariah non-compliant activities in local islands creating a conducive environment for halal tourism to flourish. The paper further discusses the challenges faced by industry along with recommendations from stakeholders. The paper proposes a conceptual framework emphasizing the role of guesthouse tourism to position Maldives as a halal tourism destination.