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Purpose – This study aims to present the push-pull motives of Islamic tourism and how these provide the
basis for promoting and developing Islamic tourism practices in Ghana’s tourism industry. As Islamic
tourism is considered as a niche market with new needs and wants globally, this study makes the effort to
identify the prospects of this formof tourismin a non-Islamic developing nation.
Design/methodology/approach – The study has used a convenience sampling approach in gathering
data from 337 Muslim tourists, adopting existing scale instruments of push-pull motives, satisfaction, wordof-
mouth of tourists and Islamic practices. The structural equation modelling was used to establish
relationships and effects of the studied variables.
Findings – The results revealed the significant effects of push-pull motives of Ghanaian Muslim tourists on
satisfaction as well as the significant influence of tourist satisfaction on word-of-mouth. In addition, the
significant moderating effects of Islamic practices on the relationships between push-pull motives and tourist
satisfaction were established.
Research limitations/implications – The conclusion and recommendations of this study might not be
consistent with factors that motivate Muslims tourists in other countries.
Practical implications – The results of the study validate the viability of Islamic tourism practices and
possible spread of positive word-of-mouth among potential Muslim tourists for future Islamic tourism market
in Ghana.
Originality/value – This paper provides the first insight into push-pull motives of Muslim tourists’ choice
of Islamic destination in non-Islamic developing country context. The insight will be valuable to tourism
authorities, industry, academics, businesses, managers and practitioners, as the results will enhance product
and service delivery to Muslim tourists when they are on vacation. |
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