Introduction 

Today, the tourism industry does not only focus on recreation but also considers the religious needs of tourists. One concept that is growing rapidly is halal tourism. This concept provides tourism services that follow Islamic principles, such as halal food, prayer facilities, and an environment that supports religious activities for Muslim tourists.

Indonesia has a great opportunity to develop halal tourism because it has a large Muslim population and many diverse tourist destinations. In addition, the increasing number of Muslim travelers around the world encourages countries with a majority Muslim population to develop the halal tourism sector more seriously. 

Young people are one of the tourist groups that play an important role in the development of the tourism industry. They usually have high mobility, interest in new experiences, and the ability to use technology to search and share information about tourist destinations. Therefore, understanding the factors that influence the interest of young Muslim generations in halal tourism is important. 

Previous studies show that a person’s interest in visiting halal destinations is influenced by several factors. These include religiosity, knowledge about halal tourism, attitudes toward halal tourism, and social influences. These factors help shape tourists’ decisions when choosing destinations that match their values and beliefs. (Sudarsono et al., 2021).

Factors Influencing Interest in Halal Tourism

Halal tourism is a tourism concept that provides services and facilities in accordance with Islamic principles. In practice, halal tourism is not only related to halal food but also includes other aspects such as the availability of prayer facilities, Muslim-friendly hotel services, and an environment that supports religious practices. 

This concept continues to grow as Muslims become more aware of the importance of following halal principles in many aspects of life, including travel activities.

Religiosity 

Religiosity describes the level of commitment of individuals in practicing their religion. In tourism, religiosity can influence a person’s preference when choosing tourism services. Individuals with higher religiosity tend to pay more attention to whether a tourist destination follows religious values. 

This means that Muslim tourists with strong religiosity are more interested in destinations that provide halal facilities and services. 

Knowledge about Halal Tourism 

Knowledge is also an important factor that can influence a person’s interest in halal tourism. Individuals who understand the concept of halal tourism tend to have a more positive attitude toward halal tourist destinations. 

With sufficient knowledge, tourists can better understand the benefits and characteristics of halal tourism, which makes them more confident in choosing destinations that meet their needs.

Research Method

This study uses a quantitative approach with a survey method to examine the factors that influence the interest of young Muslim generations in halal tourism in Indonesia. Data were collected through an online questionnaire using Google Forms.

The data collection process was conducted from 14 to 18 September 2020. Before distributing the questionnaire to the main respondents, a pilot test was conducted with 50 respondents to test the validity and reliability of the questions. Some invalid questions were removed so that only valid questions were included in the final questionnaire.

The respondents in this study were young Muslim individuals from 27 provinces in Indonesia. The respondents were selected using purposive sampling, which means the participants were chosen based on certain criteria related to the research objectives.

A total of 1,250 respondents participated in this study. Based on gender, the respondents consisted of 423 males (33.84%) and 827 females (66.16%).

Based on age groups, most respondents were 17–20 years old with 935 respondents (74.80%), followed by 20–24 years old with 263 respondents (21.04%), and 24–28 years old with 30 respondents (4.16%). This shows that most respondents were young people in their teenage to early adulthood stages.

Based on education level, 985 respondents (78.80%) had a high school education, 249 respondents (19.92%) had a bachelor’s degree, and 16 respondents (1.28%) had a master’s degree. In terms of occupation, most respondents were students with 1,123 respondents (89.84%), while the rest worked as private employees, entrepreneurs, or government employees.

The data collected from the questionnaire were analyzed to examine the influence of several variables, including religiosity, knowledge about halal tourism, attitudes toward halal tourism, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on the interest of young Muslim generations in visiting halal tourist destinations in Indonesia.

Results 

The results show that religiosity and knowledge significantly influence the attitudes of young Muslim generations toward halal tourism. Young people who have better knowledge about halal tourism tend to have more positive views of destinations that provide halal facilities. 

In addition, religiosity also plays an important role in shaping the tourism preferences of young Muslim travelers. Individuals with stronger religious commitment tend to pay more attention to halal aspects when choosing tourist destinations. 

Social factors also influence interest in halal tourism. Support from family, friends, and the surrounding environment can encourage someone to visit halal tourist destinations. In addition, easy access to halal tourism facilities can increase the interest of young people in visiting such destinations. 

Therefore, the interest of young Muslim generations in halal tourism is influenced not only by personal factors such as religiosity and knowledge but also by social influences and the availability of halal tourism facilities.

Conclusion 

Based on the discussion above, it can be concluded that young Muslim generations have great potential as a market for the development of halal tourism in Indonesia. Religiosity and knowledge about halal tourism play important roles in shaping the attitudes and interests of young people toward halal tourist destinations. In addition, social support and easy access to halal tourism facilities can also increase their interest in visiting halal destinations. 

Therefore, the development of halal tourism in Indonesia should be accompanied by efforts to improve education about halal tourism and provide adequate facilities for Muslim tourists. 

With the right strategies, halal tourism can become an important sector that attracts young tourists and improves Indonesia’s competitiveness in the global tourism industry.

Reference:

Sudarsono, H., Shidiqie, J. S. A., & Tumewang, Y. K. (2021). The impact of religiosity and knowledge on the intention of young Muslim generation toward halal tourism. Tourism and Hospitality Management, 27(2), 255–269.