Beyond Service Attributes: A Moral Institutional Model of Muslim Tourist Satisfaction in Halal Tourism

Abstract

This study examines Muslim tourist satisfaction in halal tourism by developing a moral institutional model that moves beyond the conventional view of service attributes as independent and additive determinants. Drawing on Islamic economics and tourism satisfaction theory, this study conceptualizes Muslim tourist satisfaction as a morally bounded construct shaped by religious compliance, perceptual evaluation, and socio-cultural context. A quantitative survey was conducted involving 400 Muslim tourists who had visited Baturraden, Indonesia, an emerging halal tourism destination. The data were analyzed using multiple regression, mediation analysis, and moderation analysis. The findings reveal that Islamic attributes, destination image, and socio-cultural environmental values have significant positive effects on Muslim tourist satisfaction, with Islamic attributes showing the strongest influence. The results also indicate that destination image partially mediates the relationship between Islamic attributes and satisfaction, while socio-cultural environmental values strengthen the effect of Islamic attributes on satisfaction. These findings suggest that Muslim tourist satisfaction is not merely the result of service performance, but is formed through a hierarchical and conditional process in which Islamic attributes establish moral legitimacy, destination image translates this legitimacy into tourist evaluation, and socio-cultural values provide a supportive experiential environment. This study contributes to halal tourism literature by offering a theoretically grounded model of satisfaction formation and provides practical implications for destination managers seeking to develop halal tourism strategies that are competitive, culturally embedded, and aligned with Islamic values.