International Journal of Management (IJM)

Volume 6, Issue 8, Aug 2015, pp. 42-48, Article ID: IJM_06_08_005

Available online at
http://www.iaeme.com/IJM/issues.asp?JTypeIJM&VType=6&IType=8
ISSN Print: 0976-6502 and ISSN Online: 0976-6510
IAEME Publication
___________________________________________________________________________

HALAL TOURISM IN KERALA

Nargeskhatoon Bozorgaghideh
Research scholar, Dept of Commerce, University of Kerala,
Karyavattom campus, Kerala,
Dr. Resia Beegam. S
Professor and Head Dept of Commerce, University of Kerala,
Karyavattom campus, Kerala
ABSTRACT
Religious pluralism is a unique feature of Indian culture which strengthens
its social and religious dynamics. India is known for its ancient and religious
heritage with the symbols of cultural modernization which made India a
country that offers various categories of tourism even religious tourism.
Several tourist organizations offer tour packages to visit religious spots in
India which is related to Hindusim, Buddism, Sikhism and Jain, but domestic
tourism in Muslim sites are highly unorganized and lacking tourist
infrastructure. Tourism is one of the most important sectors in the global
economy and halal tourism is a new product in the tourism industry. Malaysia,
Turkey and many more countries are trying to attract Muslim tourists from all
over the world offering facilities in accordance with the religious beliefs of
Muslim tourists. India can establish itself further as a solid travel destination
and increase its foreign revenue, by firmly positioning India in the minds of
tourists across large number of muslim dominant nations. This paper provides
an insight in to halal tourism and its potential in Kerala. This also tries to give
suggestions to improve halal tourism in Kerala.
Key words: Religious Pluralism, Social Dynamics,Religious Tourism,
Medical Tourism, Halal Tourism, Customisation.
Cite this Article: Nargeskhatoon Bozorgaghideh and Dr. Resia Beegam. S.
Antecedents of Drivers of Satisfaction in Hotel Industry and Its Impact on
Customer Loyalty. International Journal of Management, 6(8), 2015, pp. 4248. http://www.iaeme.com/IJM/issues.asp?JTypeIJM&VType=6&IType=8

1. INTRODUCTION
India is known for its ancient and religious heritage with the symbols of cultural
modernization and varied cultural trends. India is probably the rare country that offers
various categories of tourism. These include religious tourism, history tourism,
adventure tourism, medical tourism (ayurveda and other forms of Indian medications),

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Halal Tourism In Kerala

spiritual tourism, beach tourism (India has the longest coastline in the east) etc. All
this make India a major attraction for tourists. Several tourist organization offer tour
packages to visit religious spots in India which related to Hindusim, Buddism,
Sikhism and Jain, but domestic tourism in Muslim sites are highly unorganized and
lacking tourist infrastructure.
Halal tourism is a new customised product in the tourism industry it is a
subcategory of religious tourism which is inclined to Muslim families who abide by
Sharia rules. The word halal means permitted - created or operated in compliance
with Islamic laws. The concept of halal in Arabic means permission, it is not just food
it includes anything which is sharia compliant, and halal tourism means offering tour
packages and destinations that are purposely designed to support Muslim
tourists.These days, more and more Muslim travelers are looking for the halal label
on hotels, restaurants and even airlines when they travel. According to halal tourism
the hotels in such destinations do not serve alcohol and pork, prayer timings are
announced, the hotel rooms should have a Qibla pointing signage stuck on the ceiling
or in drawers, and a prayer mat to allow the Muslim travelers to perform their
religious obligations. It also includes other facilities separate for men and women
such as in hotels and resorts etc. The halal tourism industry also provides flights in
which no alcohol or pork products are served. And religious programs are broadcast
as part of entertainment offered on board. Some hotels have employed people from
the Muslim world to provide translation services and other assistance that may be
needed by tourists from Muslim countries to exploit the growing market from the
Middle East. Malaysia, Turkey and many more countries are trying to attract Muslim
tourists from all over the world offering facilities in accordance with the religious
beliefs of Muslim tourists.

2. SIGNIFICANCE
Although Muslims make up one of the largest tourist markets in the world, perceived
value of tourism offerings for this market has not been clearly defined. There are
more than 150 million Muslims in India, the third largest community. Besides the
domestic population, India hosted foreign tourists from Muslim countries that point
out the potentialities of halal tourism to attract overseas market.

2.1. Objectives
The specific objectives of this study are:
1.
2.
3.

To understand the concept halal tourism

To understand the major challenges faced by Indian halal tourism industry.
To study the opportunity of halal tourism in Kerala.

3. METHODOLOGY
The research methodology is descriptive method mainly based on secondary data,
which is collected from tourism official sites, books on tourism , different journals
and articles, papers presented on tourism, annual reports from the ministry of tourism
and other important channels of information.

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Nargeskhatoon Bozorgaghideh and Dr. Resia Beegam. S

4. HALAL TOURISM; ITS POTENTIAL AND CHALLENGES IN

INDIA
In todays globalised world, tourism has become an important source of revenue for
many countries including India. Tourism is motivated by society, business and
religious purposes. India is custodian of many dominant religions like Hinduism,
Buddhism, Sikhism and Jain. Islam doesnt have the status of religious roots like
others but the third largest Muslim population in the World after Indonesia and
Pakistan reside here.
The Religious tourism has appeared as a booming market in India. A study by the
Delhi based National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER) shows that
of the 230 million tourist trips undertaken in India; the largest rate is made up of
religious pilgrimages, Gainful opportunities are waiting keeping due consideration to
Muslim needs in the form of Halal tourism.The world Muslim population has been
growing rapidly across the world as the years passed by, with this growing population
,halal tourism has the potential to develop into one of the most resilient forms of
tourism. India should start tapping into the unexploited halal tourism market by
ensuring that Muslim travellers are provided with maximum convenience during their
trip and are able to fulfil religious obligations whilst on holiday.India has enough
attractions for a Halal loving tourist and offers a huge potential.
TajMahal among the Seven Wonders of the World, built at Agra by Mughal king
Shajahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz, is inscribed with verses from the
Koran in Arabic and other important monuments having the Islamic backgrounds are
the beautiful places for tourists. India also can attract tourists by medical tourism,
Medical, Healthcare, business, education and other purposes. In 2013, 6967601
tourists From across the globe visited India for differenet purposes. It should be noted
that in year of 2013, around 1672063 tourists who arrived in the country were from
developing nations, chiefly, Afghanistan(111370),Iran (30527) Maldives
(45270),Pakestan (111794) Bangladesh (524923), Sri Lanka (262345), Indonesia
(33747) , Malaysia (242649), Bahrain (10531) Iraq (41218), Oman (62252), Saudi
Arabia (42892), Turky (25022), United Arab Emirates (51513) And Yemen (25019).
With a global Muslim population of some 1.6 billion, the Halal hotel market is
relatively untapped. This is made necessary to improve the halal tourism in India.
Shariah compliant hotels and restaurants needs to be developed around all tourist
spots within India. Muslim dominatedand and linked areas to Muslim built
monuments result in flourishing of Indias tourism.
Trends to be set in majority-Muslim countries in the Middle East and South-East
Asia. Along with halal tourism another fast growing market in Islamic travel is halal
food. Muslim travellers want halal-certified food. This means the meat and chicken
served must be slaughtered in a certain way, and no pork products are included. Halal
certification is regulated by state authorities in Malaysia and Brunei; in other
countries, where states are wary of wading into religious matters, defining
authenticity is left to the companies themselves, to trade bodies, or to private
certifiers. But consumers may not trust their designations. Standards vary between
countries. Among so many logos it can be hard to spot fraudulent ones.

4.1. Benefits of Halal Certification

Opportunities to tap a global Halal food market of about 2 billion people (Middle
east , Asia Pacafic , Europian Union,USA, Latin Americ,Central Asia)

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Halal Tourism In Kerala

Halal logo is an authoritative, independent and reliable testimony to support Halal

food claims
200% profit of greater market share: No loss of non-Muslim markets/clients
Enhance marketability of products in Muslim countries/markets
Small cost investment relative to multiple growth in revenues
Image boosts in meeting varied customer needs.
Improve the food preparation hygienic system
Improve the food quality into global standards

4.2. Types of Halal Certifications

Eating Establishment Scheme Issued to restaurants, hawkers, school canteen

stalls, snack bars, Halal corners, confectioneries, bakeries and temporary stalls in
bazaars, flea market, trade fairs, etc.
Product Scheme Issued to India -made products
Whole Plant Scheme Issued to manufacturers for the entire plant
Food Catering Scheme Issued to catering establishments and central kitchen
facilities
Poultry Abattoir Scheme Issued to poultry abattoirs for their freshly-slaughtered
poultry
Storage Facility Scheme Issued to stationary/mobile storage facilities and
warehouses
Endorsement Scheme Issued to manufacturers, importers and exporters who
intend to import/export their Halal-certified products

5. POTENTIAL OF HALAL TOURISM IN KERALA

Kerala has a unique record in India for the harmonious coexistence of diverse
religions. The major religious communities of the state include Hindus, Christians and
Muslims, although a small population of Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jews and some
others are also present. The most famous city of Kerela, Cochin or Kochi is a worldfamous port and also a thriving business center. The city features a prominent
influence of Arabs, British, Dutch, Portuguese and Chinese since historic times. It is a
seaside city located in southern India and is bordered by, the Western Ghats on the
east and the Arabian Sea on the west. The Salafi Masjid is the oldest Masjid in the
city. Another Masjid is the Juma Masjid Padamugal. The JummahSalaath is held
between 1:00PM and 2:00PM. The sermon is delivered in Malayalam, Hindi or Urdu.
Most of the Muslim population in the city lives around Mattancherry. Cochin has a
number of Halal restaurants where travelers can dine and relish local food as well as
dishes from North India, Chinese and fast food. The tourism industry has taken the
state of Kerala to global map with its branding. The branding name of Kerala, Gods
Own Country has become popular around the world. Kerala has an active tourism
industry which has been accepted as one of the most suited industries for Kerala.

6. FOREIGN TOURIST ARRIVALS IN KERALA

Foreign tourist visits in Kerala during 2013 were 858143 as compared to 793696 in
the previous year and thus registered an increase of about 8.12percent. Foreign tourist
arrivals in Kerala since 2007 are given in Table 1.

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Nargeskhatoon Bozorgaghideh and Dr. Resia Beegam. S

Table1 The Number of Foreign Tourists Arrived in Kerala during 2007-2013
year

Foreign tourist
arrivals to Kerala

%of increase compared to

previous year

Foreign exchange
earnings Rs.crore

2007

515808

20.37

2640.94

2008

598929

16.11

3066.52

2009

557258

-6.96

2853.16

2010

659265

18.31

3797.37

2011

732985

11.18

4221.99

2012

793696

8.28

4571.69

2013

858143

8.12

5560.77

Source: Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala (2013)

Among the foreign tourists arrived in Kerala, table 2 gives nationality of tourists
from gulf countries, who contribute as Muslim tourists.
Table 2 Nationality Wise Visits of Foreign Tourists during 2007 and2013
Bahrain
years

2007

No

%
to
total

2607

2008
3313
2009
2454
2010
1281
2011
2018
2012
2900
2013
3478
total
11673
Mean 1667.57

Kuwait

Oman

No

%
to
total

0.5

3480

0.6
0.5
0.2
0.3
0.37
0.41
2.1
0.30

3328
3502
3816
4690
4636
7328
18816
2688.00

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

No

%
to
total

0.7

3247

0.6
0.8
0.7
1
1.37
1.97
3.8
0.54

No

%to
total

0.7

3418

0.6
0.6
0.6
0.64
0.58
0.85
3.14
0.45

3621
4540
4456
7327
10847
16906
23362
3337.43

U.A.E

No

%
to
total

No

%to
total

0.6

8560

1.7

8174

1.6

2195
1669

0.4
0.3

1427
1809
2266
8538
1219.71

0.2
0.23
0.26
1.5
0.21

12137
12119
14967
32595
34373
45998
80378
11482.57

2
2.2
2.3
4.5
4.33
5.36
12.7
1.81

13334
14253
15684
15529
16592
16981
66974
9567.71

2.2
2.6
2.4
2.1
2.09
1.98
10.9
1.56

Source: Compiled from Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala (2013)

Table 3 Number of total tourists and share of Gulf tourists
year

Foreign tourist arrivals

to Kerala

Total tourists from

gulf country

% of share gulf tourist

arrival to Kerala

2007

515808

29486

5.71

2008

598929

37928

6.34

2009

557258

38537

6.91

2010

659265

40204

6.1

2011

63953

8.73

2012

732985
794000

71157

8.97

2013

858143

92957

10.83

Source: Compiled from Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala (2013)

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Halal Tourism In Kerala

Table 3 shows that the shared of gulf tourist arrival to Kerala goes up during the seven
years from 5.71 percent to 10.83 percent. Other Muslim countries such as Maldives,
Iran, Bangladesh and Pakistan, contribute as foreign tourists of Kerala.
Kerala had trade relations with many foreign countries, especially those in the
middle-east like Assyria and Babylonia, right from the ancient period. Kerala was
frequently visited by Arab traders for its spices, Teakwood, Ivory etc. Islam was
propagated in Kerala by these traders and it is believed that the religion spread to
other parts of India from Kerala. Many of these traders later settled in the coastal
areas of Kerala. In 644 A.D., Malikben Dinar reached Kerala, propagated the religion
and established mosques at various places.As per census, in 2011 Muslims form the
second largest religious community in Kerala constituting 26.7 per cent of the total
population. Majority of the Muslim population is in the northern districts of the state.
Malappuram has the largest Muslim population followed by Kannur, Kozhikode and
Wayanad.

7. CONCLUSION
It has been observed that there is a growing potential for a new tourism concept
incorporating halal hospitality. As the numbers of the Muslims in all around world are
increased and purchasing powers of them is high, the opportunity to be recognized
with halal logo should not be left behind by the food manufacturers and premises.
Besides, Islamic principles in food preparation, handling and transportation involving
the aspects of hygiene and safety, are agreed to be the demand of every consumer,
either Muslim or non-Muslim. This will further contribute to the sustainability of a
food manufacturer or premises as satisfied customers will recommend more
purchasers. TheKerala government have seriously facilitate the industry by
encouraging the participants in the industry in using halal logo. As for the general
consumers, the standard guarantees quality in food and beverages while for the
specific Muslim consumers, the standard solves their doubt in food purchasing. The
department of tourism shall take new steps to grab gulf countries tourists which bring
foreign exchange earnings and employment opportunity. According to interim report
Kerala; north Kerala, despite its tourism assets, contributes only around 22 percent of
total tourism traffic to Kerala, this is due to the absence of a strategic thrust to both
marketing and infrastructure development; Kerala is a large repository of herbal drugs
and has become a big centre of herbal therapy and beautification. Treatment through
the herbs is very popular from the ancient time in Kerala subcontinent and now
approaching to new boundaries. Due to its non-alcoholic and vegetarian
nature, Ayurvedic is favourite medicine for Indian traditional and Halal conscious
consumers. Now along the side of Allopathic, Ayurvedic and Homeopathy, Unani
also have gained acceptance across the country especially in Kerala, with ample
number of hospitals, dispensaries, practitioners and pharmacies in public and private
sector. In line with the policy of government of Kerala to decrease usage alcoholism,
halal tourism is a market of tourism without alcoholism.

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[1]
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[3]

Krkkinen, Laura, and MdAminul Islam. Islamic Tourism as a Prosperous

Phenomenon in Lapland. 2013.
Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, 2012
EkoNursanty, Halal Tourism, the New Product in Islamic Leisure tourism and
Architecture, 2013

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Nargeskhatoon Bozorgaghideh and Dr. Resia Beegam. S

[4]

Interim report Kerala, identification of tourism circuits across India, march 2012

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