Islamic trust and Islamic personalization as drivers of customer engagement and loyalty intention in Muslim friendly tourism websites

Purpose This study aims to investigate the role of Islamic personalization in shaping loyalty intention on Muslim friendly tourism websites in East Java, Indonesia. Specifically, it examines how Islamic personalization influences loyalty intention through the mediating effects of Islamic trust, customer engagement and perceived value. Design/methodology/approach This research adopts a quantitative approach using structured questionnaires collected from 450 Muslim tourists who had prior experience accessing Muslim friendly tourism websites related to destinations in East Java. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS SEM) to test the proposed relationships and mediation effects. Findings The results indicate that Islamic personalization has a significant positive effect on Islamic trust. Islamic trust significantly mediates the relationship between Islamic personalization and customer engagement. Furthermore, customer engagement positively influences perceived value, which subsequently enhances loyalty intention. The findings confirm a sequential mediation process linking Islamic personalization to loyalty intention. Research limitations/implications The findings offer important theoretical and practical implications for halal tourism and Islamic marketing. For practitioners and policymakers, the study highlights the importance of developing Shari’ah compliant digital platforms that emphasize Islamic personalization to strengthen trust, engagement and loyalty among Muslim travelers. Originality/value This study proposes a sequential mediation model that integrates Islamic personalization, Islamic trust, customer engagement and perceived value within the context of Muslim friendly digital tourism platforms. It offers a focused extension of relationship marketing theory by showing how Shari’ah compliant attributes condition trust and engagement within a digital halal tourism framework.