Investigation of Factors Affecting the Preference of Halal Tourism Concept: Erzurum Example

In this study, it was determined that 575 people, who were selected by easy sampling method from adult individuals living in the city center of Erzurum, were asked whether they would like to spend their holidays in an accommodation center suitable for the halal tourism concept, and it was determined that 87% of the participants wanted to spend their holidays in the accommodation centers suitable for halal tourism concept. Then, demographic and socio-economic factors that may be effective in this choice are discussed; factors related to travel and accommodation were also questioned. As a result of the chisquare tests, a logistic regression model has been established with variables that may have an effect on halal tourism preference and it is determined that the established model is statistically significant. According to the results of the established binary logistic regression model, providing halal food and beverage service in the hotel (1), the number of hotel accommodation (2), having private beaches for man and women in the hotel (3), keeping cleaning products away from food and beverages in hotels (4), not being able to enter the hotel rooms with shoes (5), the presence of religious equipment (Quran, rosary, prayer rug, qibla sign, etc.) in hotel rooms (6), setting of stops on the journey according to prayer times (7), the presence of religious entertainment programs for children and adults in the hotel (8), paying attention the privacy in public areas of the hotel (9), and the availability of hotel facilities (fitness, swimming pool, spa, etc.) (10) are the factors affecting the preference of halal tourism at the significance level of 5%. According to the results of the binary logistic regression model, the safety and security of the hotel (11), the average monthly income of the family (12), paying attention to religious clothing in public areas of the hotel (13), the setting of the food hours in Ramadan according to iftar and sahur times (14), the hotel's proximity to the city center (15), the limitation of television channels to halal concept in the hotel rooms (16), the preservation of food in healthy conditions (17), and the presence of Turkish toilets in hotel rooms (18) are the factors that affect the preference of halal tourism at the significance level of 10%.