Legal frameworks in halal tourism: A comparative study of Malaysia and Indonesia
List of Authors
  • Marina Abu Bakar , Sukriah Ismail

Keyword
  • Halal tourism, Legal frameworks, Malaysia, Indonesia, Tourism legislation

Abstract
  • Halal tourism is a rapidly growing sector with significant economic potential, yet there is limited understanding of the effectiveness and comparative strengths of the legal frameworks in Malaysia and Indonesia, two leading Muslim-majority countries. While both nations have developed extensive regulations and certification processes to ensure compliance with Islamic principles, their approaches and implementation strategies vary. This study aims to fill the gap in comparative analyses of these frameworks by identifying best practices, understanding challenges, and providing recommendations to enhance the legal and regulatory environments. This study uses a qualitative research methodology to compare the legal frameworks of halal tourism in Malaysia and Indonesia. It involves a literature review, document analysis of key legal texts, and comparative analysis to identify similarities and differences in the legal frameworks of halal tourism between Malaysia and Indonesia. The findings indicate that while both Malaysia and Indonesia have robust legal frameworks supporting halal tourism, their approaches and implementation strategies differ. Malaysia’s centralized and globally recognized certification system, along with comprehensive legislative measures, provides a strong foundation for halal tourism. Indonesia’s comprehensive Halal Product Assurance Law and collaborative efforts across various governmental agencies ensure widespread compliance and promotion of halal tourism. By learning from each other’s best practices and addressing respective challenges, both countries can further optimize their legal and regulatory environments to support the growth of halal tourism, ultimately benefiting the global Muslim tourist community.

Reference
  • 1. Ab Rahman, S., Che Man, Y., Wan Zulkifli, W., Hashim, P., Ismail, A., Sazili, A. Q., & Mokhtar, N. F. (2009). Halal friendly tourism: Capturing the Muslim market. In 3rd IMT-GT International Symposium on Halal Science and Management (pp. 21-22).

    2. Adinugraha, H.H., Nasution, I.F., Faisal, F., Daulay, M., Harahap, I., Wildan, T., Takhim, M., Riyadi, A., & Purwanto, A. (2021). Halal tourism in Indonesia: An Indonesian Council of Ulama National Sharia Board Fatwa perspective. Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 8, 665-673.

    3. Ahmad, A. N., Rahman, R. A., Othman, M., & Ab. Halim, M. S. (2015). Critical success factors affecting the implementation of halal food management systems: Perspective of halal executives, consultants and auditors. Food Control, 51, 94-104.

    4. Azizuddin, I., & Ainulyaqin, M. H. (2022). Industri pariwisata halal: Pendorong inovasi untuk halalpreneurs. Jurnal Ilmiah Ekonomi Islam, 8(1), 106-116.

    5. Battour, M., Ismail, M. N., & Battor, M. (2011). The impact of destination attributes on Muslim tourist’s choice. International Journal of Tourism Research, 13(6), 527-540.

    6. Battour, M., Hakimian, F., Ismail, M., & Boğan, E. (2018). The perception of non-Muslim tourists towards halal tourism: Evidence from Turkey and Malaysia. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 9(4), 823-840.

    7. Boğan, E., & Sarıışık, M. (2019). Halal tourism: Conceptual and practical challenges. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 10(1), 87-96.

    8. Che Daud, M. A., & Mohamad, N. A. (2020). The development of Islamic tourism in Malaysia: Issues and challenges. Al-Irsyad: Journal of Islamic and Contemporary Issues, 5(1), 115-130.

    9. Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. SAGE Publications.

    10. Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM). (n.d.). Malaysian Halal Certification. Retrieved from https://www.halal.gov.my/ [10 February 2024].

    11. Farahiyah Izni, W. A. R., & Ahamat, H. (2018). Legal protection of Muslim tourists in Islamic religious tourism in Malaysia: Reality and challenges. International Journal of Engineering & Technology, 7(3)30, 109.

    12. Flick, U. (2014). An Introduction to Qualitative Research. SAGE Publications.

    13. Ghazali, M. A. I., & Ramzi, M. (2020). Halal logistics legal framework: Malaysia perspective. Journal of Critical Reviews, 7(8): 33-39.

    14. El-Gohary, H. (2016). Halal tourism, is it really Halal?. Tourism Management Perspectives, 19, 124-130.

    15. Hasan, F., Yusop, S.A., Idris, F.L., Rani, M.I., & Rahmawati, S. (2023). Halal tourism industry: Advantages and challenges in Malaysia. International Journal of Emerging Issues in Islamic Studies, 3(1), 118-129.

    16. Henderson, J. C. (2016). Halal food, certification and halal tourism: Insights from Malaysia and Singapore. Tourism Management Perspectives, 19, 160-164.

    17. Indonesian Ulema Council (Majelis Ulama Indonesia, MUI). (n.d.). Halal Certification. Retrieved from https://mui.or.id/ [10 February 2024].

    18. Isa, S. M., Chin, P. N., & Mohammad, N. U. (2018). Muslim tourist perceived value: A study on Malaysia Halal tourism. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 9(2), 402-420.

    19. Ismail, N. A. (2018). Malaysia’s role as a global halal hub: Opportunities and challenges. Innovative Issues and Approaches in Social Sciences, 11(3), 45-60.

    20. Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC). (n.d.). About ITC. Retrieved from https://itc.gov.my/ [10 February 2024].

    21. Jaelani, A. (2017). Halal tourism industry in Indonesia: Potential and prospects. International Review of management and Marketing, 7(3), 25-34.

    22. Jaelani, E. (2018). Perlindungan hukum terhadap wisatawan dalam rangka pemanfaatan produk dan jasa pariwisata syariah (halal tourism). JES (Jurnal Ekonomi Syariah), 3(2): 175-189.

    23. Jafari, J., & Scott, N. (2014). Muslim world and its tourisms. Annals of Tourism Research, 44, 1-19.

    24. Jaswir, I., & Ramli, N. (2017). Study on Muslim-friendly hospitality in Malaysia. In Contemporary Issues and Development in the Global Halal Industry: Selected Papers from the International Halal Conference 2014 (pp. 59-66). Springer Singapore.

    25. Kementerian Keuangan Republik Indonesia (KEMENKEU). (n.d.). Halal Product Assurance Law (Law No. 33 of 2014). Retrieved from https://jdih.kemenkeu.go.id/ [10 February 2024].

    26. Marshall, C., & Rossman, G. B. (2015). Designing Qualitative Research. SAGE Publications.

    27. Mashuri, I. (2020). Implementation of Sharia compliance in the halal tourism industry in Indonesia (A study on Sharia hotels and beaches). Prophetic Law Review, 2(2), 200-220.

    28. Meirezaldi, O. (2020). Halal tourism industry in Indonesia. In 2nd Annual International Conference on Business and Public Administration (AICoBPA 2019) (pp. 126-129). Atlantis Press.

    29. Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC). (2018). National Tourism Policy 2020-2030. Retrieved from https://www.motac.gov.my/ [10 February 2024].

    30. Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (MoTCE). (n.d.). Halal Tourism Development. Retrieved from https://www.kemenparekraf.go.id/ [10 February 2024].

    31. Muhamad, N.S., Sulaiman, S., Adham, K.A., & Said, M.F. (2019). Halal tourism: Literature synthesis and direction for future research. Pertanika journal of social science and humanities, 27, 729-745.

    32. Paramarta, V., Dewi, R. R. V. K., Rahmanita, F., Hidayati, S., & Sunarsi, D. (2021). Halal tourism in Indonesia: regional regulation and Indonesian ulama council perspective. International Journal of Criminology and Sociology, 10, 497-505.

    33. Pasarela, H., Soemitra, A., & Nawawi, Z. M. (2022). Halal tourism development strategy in Indonesia. Konfrontasi: Jurnal Kultural, Ekonomi dan Perubahan Sosial, 9(1), 14-26.

    34. Peristiwo, H. (2020). Indonesian and Malaysian potential for a halal tourism industry. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 9(1), 1-16.

    35. Putra, M. F. S., & Tucunan, K. P. (2021). The concept of halal tourism and the fulfillment of muslim tourist needs in halal tourism. Halal Research Journal, 1(2), 56-62.

    36. Rasul, T. (2019). The trends, opportunities and challenges of halal tourism: A systematic literature review. Tourism Recreation Research, 44(4), 434-450.

    37. Rasyid, A. (2019). Sustainable Development of Halal Tourism in Indonesia: Opportunities and Challenges. Proceedings of The 1st Workshop Multimedia Education, Learning, Assessment and its Implementation in Game and Gamification, Medan Indonesia, 26th January 2019, WOMELA-GG.

    38. Sabidin, F. B. (2015). Halal hotels in Malaysia: Certification, issues and challenges. THE Journal: Tourism and Hospitality Essentials Journal, 5(2), 897-902.

    39. Samori, Z., Rahman, F. A., & Zahari, M. S. M. (2017). Conceptual framework for Shari’ah governance with special reference to the Muslim friendly hotel sector in Malaysia. In Country Experiences in Economic Development, Management and Entrepreneurship: Proceedings of the 17th Eurasia Business and Economics Society Conference (pp. 717-731). Springer International Publishing.

    40. Samsul, S., Muslimin, S., & Jafar, W. (2022). Peluang dan tantangan industri halal Indonesia menuju pusat industri halal dunia. Al-Azhar Journal of Islamic Economics, 12-24.

    41. Saviera, L., Sirait, N. N., Isa, N. M., Sulaiman, S., & Kamal, S. B. M. (2024). The comparative study of Muslim friendly homestay programs in Indonesia and Malaysia: Social legal perspective. KnE Social Sciences, 436-449.

    42. Sayekti, N. W. (2020). Strategi pengembangan pariwisata halal di Indonesia. Kajian, 24(3), 159-172.

    43. Silverman, D. (2016). Qualitative Research. SAGE Publications.

    44. Subarkah, A. R., & Rachman, J. B. (2020). Destination branding Indonesia sebagai destinasi Wisata halal. Jurnal Kepariwisataan: Destinasi, Hospitalitas Dan Perjalanan, 4(2), 84-97.

    45. Suryandari, N., & Rahmawati, F. N. (2022). Halal Tourism Trends. In 3rd International Media Conference 2021 (IMC 2021) (pp. 205-212). Atlantis Press.

    46. Sultan, P., & Wong, A. (2019). Understanding the concept and market of halal tourism: Implications for destination marketing. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 10(3), 735-754.

    47. Malaysian Federal Legislation (AGC). (n.d.). Trade Descriptions Act 2011. Retrieved from https://www.federalgazette.agc.gov.my/ [10 February 2024].

    48. National Sharia Finance Committee (KNKS). (n.d.). About KNKS. Retrieved from https://knks.go.id/ [10 February 2024].

    49. National Standardization Agency (BSN). (n.d.). Indonesian National Standard (SNI) for Halal Tourism. Retrieved from https://www.bsn.go.id/ [10 February 2024].

    50. Ulfy, M. A., Haque, A., Karim, M. W., Hossin, M. S., & Huda, M. N. (2021). Tourists behavioral intention to visit halal tourism destination: An empirical study on Muslim tourists in Malaysia. International Fellowship Journal of Interdisciplinary Research, 1(1), 1-18.

    51. Vargas-Sánchez, A., & Moral-Moral, M. (2019). Halal tourism: Literature review and experts’ view. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 11(3), 549-569.

    52. Wardhani, N. E. (2023). Existence of fatwa of the National Sharia Council of the Indonesian Ulema Council (DSN-MUI) No. 108/DSN-MUI/X/2016 concerning guidelines for organizing tourism based on Sharia principles: Between spiritual and regulatory. Journal of Social Research, 2(9), 3162-3168.

    53. Winarti, O. (2017). Halal tourism in Indonesia: Does it attract only muslim tourists?. Jurnal Studi Komunikasi, 1(3), 232-239.

    54. Wong, H. S. (2021). Inadequacies of legal framework of mosque tourism towards development of tourism industry in Malaysia: A review. Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Environment Management, 6(23), 71-78.

    55. Zulkifli, W. S. W., Rahman, S. A., Awang, K. W., & Man, Y. B. C. (2011). Developing the framework for halal friendly tourism in Malaysia. International Business Management, 5(6), 295-302.