Halal-friendly tourism attributes and Muslim tourists’ memorable experiences: insights from non-OIC countries

Purpose This study aims to examine how halal-friendly attributes (HFAs) in five non-Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) destinations, namely Singapore, Thailand, India, Australia and Sri Lanka, shape Muslim tourists’ memorable tourism experiences (MTEs) and behavioural intentions. It focuses on whether halal-friendly provision in non-OIC contexts becomes merely functional support or a memorable part of the travel experience. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework, this study uses survey data from 349 Malaysian and Pakistani Muslim tourists who had visited at least one of the five non-OIC destinations within the previous two years. PLS-SEM was applied to test the effects of five HFAs on MTEs, revisit intention and recommendation intention, together with the mediating role of MTEs and the moderating roles of religiosity and novelty-seeking. Findings The results show that four HFAs significantly influence MTEs, while halal-friendly service information does not. Four HFAs also influence recommendation intention, with halal-friendly social environment being the exception. All five HFAs positively affect revisit intention, and MTEs strongly predict both revisit and recommendation intentions. Practical implications Tourism policymakers and service providers in non-OIC destinations can use the findings to prioritise halal food assurance, credible hotel provision, visible prayer and ablution facilities and accurate halal service information. Originality/value This study advances halal tourism research by examining HFAs across five non-OIC destinations simultaneously and by integrating two moderators, religiosity and novelty-seeking, within a single S-O-R model. It shows that not every halal-friendly cue becomes memorable, thereby refining how HFAs should be theorised in non-OIC travel contexts.