Faith, Comfort, Devotion: Determinants of Tourist Loyalty in Halal Tourism Sector

Abstract

Tourist loyalty is a critical determinant of sustainable success in the globally competitive halal tourism sector, directly influencing economic resilience, market reputation, and competitive advantage. This study aims to investigate the direct and indirect influences of social influence, attitude, and service quality on tourist loyalty, with perceived value as a mediating variable, within the Malaysian context. A structured online questionnaire was distributed to target respondents who had experienced halal tourism in Malaysia, utilising a snowball sampling technique. After data screening, 316 clean and complete responses were retained for analysis. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The hypothesis testing revealed that perceived value is the strongest direct predictor of loyalty. The direct effects of attitude and service quality on loyalty were found to be statistically insignificant, whereas their indirect effects, mediated through perceived value, were significant. Social influence demonstrated both significant direct and indirect effects on loyalty. These results confirm the pivotal mediating role of perceived value, clarifying the psychological mechanisms that underpin loyalty formation. The study suggests future research should explore these relationships in different cultural contexts and incorporate moderating variables such as religiosity. For practitioners, the findings emphasise that strategic efforts must extend beyond basic halal compliance to focus on innovatively enhancing and communicating the multidimensional value of the tourist experience to cultivate enduring loyalty.