1. Department of Political Sciences
Local identity and territorial development based on the tourist “industry”.
The case of the Islamic tourist industry
Meeting of Experts : “Territorialization of industry policy and inclusive development”
24 – 25 novembre 2016
Tunis, Tunisie
Prof. Mauro Spotorno
University of Genoa
Department of Political Sciences

2. The steps of our presentation
Premise
In spite of the dimension and the political and economic relevance of the Islamic international tourism this topic is quite marginal in the context of the scientific tourist literature.
The aim of the study
To analyse the issues of “Islamic” and “Halal” tourism as a factor of local sustainable development.
The steps of our presentation
Tourist fluxes between Islamic countries in
Tourist fluxes from Islamic countries to Maghreb in 1995 – 2014.
Islamic behaviour rules and Islamic tourism.
Traditional western-oriented tourism and the politics of tourism in Maghreb.
Conclusions.

3. 1 - Geographical area of the survey:
- The “Muslim countries”: the countries where more than 60% of the population is Muslim.
- Maghreb strictly intended (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, with the exclusion of Libya and Mauritania).
2 - Tourism definition as proposed by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
Therefore:
- The term “tourist” refers to international visitors who cross the border of the countries of Maghreb and stay there for more than twenty-four hours and less than a year without involvement in any forms of pecuniary employment.
- We base our survey on the “Arrivals” of non resident visitors at national borders

4. Index number of tourist fluxes increase

5. Tourist arrivals in Maghreb (1995-2014)

7. The potential basin of demand
The potential basin of demand would be mainly composed of some countries of Near and Middle East, for example:
GDP
(USA$)
2014
Population (million inhabitants)
Direct annual expenditure for tourist activities (USA$)
Saudi Arabia
54,655
29.9
18 million
Barhain
24,929
1.3
n.a.
United Arab Emirates
43,179
9.4
6,6 million
Kuwait
67,054
4.1
Oman
41,891
4.0
Qatar
93,714
2.2 7
Source: S.Mangano, M. Spotorno & G.M. Ugolini, 2016, in press (modified) 7

8. The Eid & El-Gohary Model
Relationship between Dimensions of Tourist Satisfaction and Islamic Religiosity
The Eid & El-Gohary Model
Quality value
Value for money
Traditional Value Dimensions
Emotional value
Tourist
Satisfaction
Social value
Islamic Physical Attributes
Islamic Value Dimensions
High
Low
Low
High
Islamic non Physical Attributes
Moderator:
Islamic Religiosity
Source: R.Eid, H. El-Gohary, 2015, p. 479 (modified)

9. The study case of Maghrebin tourists resident in Massa (Italy)
Relevance of the compliance with Islamic rules in the choice of the Hotel during their holidays in Maghreb.
Relevance of the compliance with the Islamic rules by the seaside structures in the choice during their holidays in Maghreb.
20 %

10. The emergence of Islamic tourism

11. Some main “halal” attributes of Islamic tourist destinations
Hotels that meet the religious needs of the tourists as: Makkah stickers or Qibla stickers, availability of the Holy Quran in the rooms occupied by Muslim visitors, rooms equipped with prayer mats,….
Availability of places of worship.
Avaliability of Halal food.
Banning of alcohol consumption and gambling.
Banning sexual permissiveness.
Dress code in some hotels and tourist structures.

14. In Maghreb the traditional tourism and the related process of territorialization, as well as the tourist policies and strategies are embedded both within ‘modernization’ paradigms and the “orientalist” perspective (see Said’s seminal work).
However, from the point of view of the sustainable development this paradigm could be criticized for its Western ethnocentric overtones.
All those arguments assume a particular relevance when we consider the need, also for Maghreb countries, to develop a kind of tourism that considers the complete set of cultural characteristics - and namely the religious ones – both of the host territories and the Islamic tourists.

15. Tunisia: example of a seaside resort

16. 1 - Present state and forecasts
Conclusions
1 - Present state and forecasts
In 2014 the halal tourism is accounted for: about 145 billion of $
In 2020 the halal tourism is accounted for: about 200 billion of $
The average annual rate of increase will be 4.6%
In 2014 the Muslim travellers were about 108 million people
(about 10% of the total of international tourists)
In 2020 the world Muslim travellers will be about 150 million people
The average annual rate of increase of the Muslim travellers will be 4,8%
(The average annual rate of increase of the total world tourists will be 3,8%)
Sources: MasterCard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index 2015” (Gmti 2015), Dinar Standard, World Tourism Organization (WTO).

17. 2 – Islamic and Halal Tourism as factor of local sustainable development (also from a cultural point of view)
Some empirical studies demonstrate that Muslim tourists satisfaction depends both on traditional value dimensions (quality, money, emotions, social) and religious one (physical and non physical).
The tourist institutions can contribute to improve their marketing strategies, policies and plans taking into account the relevance of the religious dimension of the tourist satisfaction.
More deepened studies on the Islamic and Halal tourism at regional (i.e.Maghreb) and local scale, and on their relationship with social and cultural differentiation of the Islamic tourists, can enable:
- to develop tourism in many Islamic countries with more sophisticated positioning strategies;
- to overcome the traditional and all but only western oriented marketing strategy and state policies;
- to contribute to increase the national and local income in the perspective of sustainable development also from the point of view of the local cultural specificity (like, for instance, the religious beliefs).

18. Unfortunately there is a lack of specialized literature on the topics both of the Halal and Islamic tourism and on their effects on the policies of the sustainable development based on tourism.
So, there is the need of a new set of conceptual instruments and a new theoretical framework that enable to go beyond the conventional perspectives and to interpret this “new” tourism, also in terms of conflicts and power relations.
For those who aim at analysing the territorial transformations inducted by the HalaI and Islamic tourism in the Muslim world (and in Maghreb in particular) there is a room to work.

19. Thank you for your attention!