Islamic hospitality practices: Changes and challenges in Pakistani hotels

Abstract

This study will examine the potential of Islamic hotel services framed by Pakistani hoteliers. The halal lifestyle is increasing worldwide; consequently, a parallel ecosystem is evolving in many Muslim and non-Muslim countries to cope with market demand. The halal laws and standards mainly regulate the import and export of food products in Pakistan but the majority of hotel business in Pakistan is self-claimed halal. Even though the hotel is certified by the halal authority, the GMP is still not fully standardised as halal. The Pakistan hotel industry is mainly composed of SME businesses. Western presidency and operational standards shape Pakistan's current hospitality management activities within the commercial accommodation sector. Furthermore, these standards are not sensitive to the religious values and socio-cultural perceptions of Islamic culture. In the current study, the hotelier responded to 48 variables in six operating segments for hotels. The hoteliers were optimistic about developing fully operational Islamic hotels for sensitive customers as competitive to conventional hotels. The government should devise a policy to establish and adopt Islamic tourism in the national tourism policy.