Post COVID-19 Crisis: Muslim Holy Places' Hoteliers Are You Ready to Fully Reopen?

Abstract

: Recent studies show the prevalence of ‘fear factor’ among religious visitors’ use of hotels at Muslim holy places. This study investigates visitors’ perceptions of the precautionary measures taken due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives include 1) a critical review of the literature to identify preventive health practices, 2) surveying religious travelers finding their perceptions towards precautionary practices, and 3) developing recommendations about preferred health practices for hoteliers. Constructionism epistemology and an online survey were used utilizing the recent theoretical framework. Purposive and snowballing sampling techniques were adopted. Quantitative methods were used to surveying 390 respondents. The research found that Muslim travelers showed high intention to visit holy places upon reopening. Significant differences existed among age, gender, number of visits, and the five dimensions of precautionary practices. The research tried to afford a clearer picture about visitors’ preferences and their prioritized health practices, which will help in re-building visitor’s trust.