Halal certification for tourism marketing: the attributes and attitudes of food operators in Indonesia

Purpose Halal tourism is a subset of tourism activities geared towards Muslim which are aligned with the Islamic principles. As a response to this, many food operators have realised the importance of having a halal certification to establish a better market position. In the context of Indonesia, it is yet to be known what attitudes the food operators have towards halal certification and what attributes characterised those who have obtained the certification. Therefore, this study aims to examine the attributes of food operators and their attitudes towards halal certification in Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach A survey and structured interview were conducted on 298 food operators in Bandung, a city in Indonesia, between August and December 2018. Seven hypotheses were proposed and tested to evaluate the association between halal certification and food operators’ attributes and their attitudes towards it. Findings The results of the study suggested that food operators who had halal certification can be characterised by the number of branches the businesses have, the knowledge of halal tourism and knowledge on the market segment. However, the age of their business was found not related to halal certification. In terms of attitudes, the study found that performance beliefs, intention to apply and target market segment had associated with halal certification. Practical implications The outcomes of the study could provide information to entities and agencies involved in the tourism industry that consider targeting Muslim travellers as their market segment. Halal certification could be an approach to facilitate tourism marketing and consequently increase the performance of food-related business sectors. Originality/value This study provides evidence that could lead to a better understanding of the attributes of food operators and their attitudes towards halal certification in the context of Indonesia’s tourism industry.