The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:

https://www.emerald.com/insight/1759-0833.htm

Travel
Islamic tourism: travel motivations
motivations, satisfaction and word satisfaction

of mouth, Ghana
Alexander Preko
Department of Marketing, University of Professional Studies, Accra, Ghana
Received 15 April 2019
Iddrisu Mohammed Revised 20 July 2019
10 September 2019
Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana 10 December 2019
Accepted 4 January 2020
Theophilus Francis Gyepi-Garbrah
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Accra, Ghana, and
Azizbek Allaberganov
Department of Marketing, Westminster International University in Tashkent,
Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Abstract
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 form of tourism in 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, word-
of-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.
Keywords Ghana, Motives, Satisfaction, Word-of-mouth, Islamic tourism, Islamic practices
Paper type Research paper

Introduction Journal of Islamic Marketing

Islamic tourism is identified as an emerging area of tourism which is gaining recognition © Emerald Publishing Limited
1759-0833
among academics, marketers and practitioners in both Muslim and non-Muslim countries of DOI 10.1108/JIMA-04-2019-0082
JIMA the world. World Travel Market (2007) defined Islamic tourism as a form of tourism that
strictly follows Islamic teachings and ethical codes in terms of behaviour, dress, conduct,
and diet. A large number of academic research on Islamic tourism (Aref, 2010; Alvarez, 2010;
Battour et al., 2013; Edwards, 2010; Hamira and Ghazali, 2012; Hazbun, 2009; Hossain et al.,
2012; Jalilian et al., 2012; Rahman et al., 2017; Patil, 2011; Stephenson and Ali-Knight, 2010)
are geographically concentrated in Muslim nations creating a knowledge gap in non-Muslim
nations like Ghana. This knowledge gap requires more studies in non-Islamic countries, due
to the distinctive characteristics and the demands from Islamic tourists. The purpose of this
study is to explore the factors that motivate Ghanaian Muslim tourists (GMT) to visit
tourism sites in Ghana. Thus, identifying the motivational factors that satisfy the religious
needs of GMT might encourage them to tour sites that present religious facilities like halal
diet, prayer places among others. According to World Travel Market (2007), religious
beliefs, values and norms are significant factors that influence Muslim travelling decision.
Importantly, this form of tourism has economic, socio-cultural and religious aims (Haq
and Wong, 2010). Muslim tourists’ market has contributed significantly to the international
tourism market. Global Muslim Travel Index’ (2019) report showed that the Muslim travel
sector is estimated to contribute US$300bn to the world economy by 2026 with more than
230 million Muslim tourists expected to embark on local and international travel by 2026.
For instance, In Africa, an 8 per cent increase accounting for 62 million of international
arrivals reached a new record in 2017 according to the United Nations World Tourism
Organisation (UNWTO, 2018). In Sub-Saharan Africa, a 5 per cent increase was documented
with Ghana and Gambia regarded as the most popular destinations in the region (UNWTO,
2018).
Indeed, this research assumes that push factor (PUSF) and pull factors (PULF) influence
tourist behaviour which then impact on satisfaction and also enhance word-of-mouth among
Islamic tourists. In this vein, this study develops the following objectives to investigate the
influence PUSF and PULF on tourist satisfaction and Wouth-of-Mouth (WoM). Second, to
determine the moderating effect of Islamic practices on the relationships between PUSF and
PULF as well as tourist satisfaction. When these motivational factors are examined in a new
setting, it would help policy makers, service providers and tourism marketers to establish
programmes and policies that can enhance the development of Islamic tourist in non-Islamic
countries. Again, this study is necessary as it makes original contribution from a developing
economy to the academic discourse on Islamic tourist worldwide.

Literature
Islamic tourism
According to Weidenfeld and Ron (2008), religion can play a major role in the selection of
destination choice. Yet, there are limited studies within context. Islamic tourism is regarded
as a new type of tourism activity undertaken by Muslims in accordance with or in adherence
to the values of the Islamic religion (Battour and Ismail, 2016; Mohsin et al., 2016). It is
important to note that there is still no standard definition of Islamic tourism, yet the
application of Islamic teachings and practices by Muslims at tourism sites is very crucial. In
this study, Islamic tourism is regarded as Muslim tourist abiding by the Islamic rules
supported by offering religious facilities that interest the tourists at their tourism sites.
Interestingly, Islamic tourism is characterised by halal drinks, food and entertainment,
prayer time announcement, prayer rooms and so on. Similarly, Muslim tourists are
encouraged to meet the principles of Shari’a law and religious beliefs when about to select a
destination or travel to particular sites (Poria et al., 2003b). Islamic tourism like any form of
tourism has socio-economic and, cultural opportunities as well as enhancement of religious
intentions of its members. According to Al-Hamarneh (2008), Islamic tourism provides an Travel
opportunity for revival of Islamic culture, provides a medium of spreading Islamic values, motivations
boosts Muslim self-confidence and reinforces Muslim identity and belief system in society.
Besides, Organisation of Islamic Conference’s (2008) reported economic benefits of Islamic
satisfaction
tourism in the area of job creation, increase in the creation of business opportunities in terms
of sales at destinations, increase in the standard of infrastructure (e.g. hotels, travel agencies
and restaurants). Despite the significant roles of Islamic tourism, some researchers have
debated on-going challenges undermining the growth of the sector. Bhuiya et al. (2011)
found out that inadequate empirical research, lack of proper policy and guidelines, proper
marketing of Islamic destination and lack of coordination obstructions have affected the
development of the sector. Again, Norlida et al.’s (2010) findings indicated that the most
significant factor that negatively affected the image of Islamic tourism was the (9/11) 2001
tragedy in the USA. In spite of these hindrances, Islamic tourism will be viable if destination
marketers understand and manage Muslim tourists travel by recognising the factors that
motivate their choice and satisfaction at tourism sites.

Tourism in Ghana
Ghana is located in West Africa on the shores of the Gulf of Guinea. The country has an area
land mass of 238,540 square km north of the equator, with a population of approximately 28
million (The Worldbank, 2017). The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimated
that the total contribution of tourism to Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) amounted to
GHC12, 573.3 million (US$1, 335.5m), 6.2 per cent of GDP in 2017 and is expected to increase
by 4.2 per cent to GHC19, 852.8 mn (US$4, 522.3m), 5.7 per cent of GDP in 2028 [World
Travel and Tourism Council, (WTTC), 2017]. This research is of interest to Ghana because
tourism is one of the main socio-economic drivers that generates foreign income, creates jobs
and also stimulates other sectors of the economy. Tourism is the fourth highest income
earner for Ghana after gold, cocoa, and oil (myjoyonline, 2018; Mensah-Ansah et al., 2011).
Cable News Network’s (CNN) travel report showed that Ghana has been rated fourth out of
nineteen most interesting tourism destinations of the world (CNN Travel, 2019). A total of
1.3 million international tourists visited the country in 2017 and expected to increase by 8.4
per cent in 2021 (Oxford Business Group, 2018).
In terms of employment, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) reported that
the sector supported 682,000 jobs, or 5.3 per cent of total national employment, in 2016
[World Travel and Tourism Council,(WTTC), 2017]. Ghana possesses tourism assets that
support tourism services such as infrastructure which promote its hospitality industry.
Ghana has the infrastructure to support various forms of tourism: heritage, ecotourism,
festival, leisure, business tourism, health tourism, education, urban or rural, city, coastal and
Islamic tourism. Among these forms of tourism, academic research into Islamic tourism has
been overlooked within this context. Interestingly, the Islam is regarded as one of Ghana’s
main religions and approximately 20 per cent of the 28 million estimated Ghanaians are
recorded as Muslims (Religion Facts, 2016). The influence of Islam in Ghana’ socio-economic
development cannot be neglected (Heaton et al., 2009; Owusu, 2017). A study into Islamic
tourism is important because of a number of factors. First, the country can boast of Islamic
schools, hospitals, banks, among other developmental projects in Ghana. Second, Muslims
and other religions in Ghana have admirable inter-relations (Wandusim, 2015), achieved
largely through the recognition of Islam by the state. There is also cooperation between
other religious bodies and the Muslim religion represented by their agencies such as the
National Hajj Council, Muslim Representative Council and National Chief Imam. Hence, the
JIMA study of Islamic tourism is essential to both government, practitioners, scholars, businesses
and policy-makers.

Push and pull motivational theory

The push-pull motivational theory (PPMT) has underpinned tourism research that have
investigated travelling motives of tourists (Baniya and Paudel, 2016; Battour et al., 2014;
Khuong and Ha, 2014). The present research draws on PPMT to explore travelling motives
of GMT, since the theory explains why individuals travel (Uysal and Jurowski, 1994). The
theory supports the understanding that tourist travelling behaviour is two-way: what
pushes, and what pulls a tourist to a destination. According to these scholars (Kim et al.,
2003; Yoon and Uysal, 2005), the push motives describe the inner desires to travel while the
pull motivational factors deals with the tourist’s decision relating to destination
characteristics. Furthermore, Jang et al. (2009) defined the push factors as socio-
psychological needs that stimulate a tourist’s decision to travel. As regards pull factors,
researchers (Baniya and Paudel, 2016; Khuong and Ha, 2014) referred to the pull factors as
those attributes that attract a tourist to a specific destination once the decision to tour
has been defined. Interestingly, Battour et al. (2012) suggested that the two forms of motives
(push-pull) may or may not relate.
The PUSF and PULF motivational theory adequately reflect the motives that accounts for
tourists selecting and travelling to their destinations of choice (Battour et al., 2014; Dayour,
2013). In view of this, push and pull motivational theory can be utlised to understand why
tourists travel which in itself include the interaction of the the two factors (push-pull). In
contrast to other motivational theories, the push and pull theory is more flexible to apply to
motives of tourists given that its elements best explain the inner desires to travel, satisfy the
socio-psychological needs as well as identify attributes that attract a tourist to destinations
(Jang et al., 2009; Yoon and Uysal, 2005). According to existing literature, tourists are motivated
by different culture, natural scenery, wide space and activities (PULF), and PUSF, such as
family togetherness, knowledge and education, achievement and relaxation which are
considered as the main constructs for the current study. The tourism needs of GMT within
context could be associated with satisfying their inner, spiritual and physical well-being.

Pull-push factors that influence tourist motives and satisfaction

Existing literature on tourists’ motives in tourism marketing simply attempts to explain
why people travel and select specific destination of their choice. Yet very little studies have
looked at the empirical influence of travel motivations for Muslim tourists (Battour et al.,
2012; Haq and Jackson, 2009). However, extensive studies have been conducted to establish
the relationships and the significant effect of tourists’ motivations and satisfactions on other
forms of tourism (Chi and Qu, 2008; Preko et al., 2019; Zabkar et al., 2010). Early findings
revealed that significant levels of tourists’ satisfactions are associated with their tourism
needs. In addition, the levels of motivation and satisfaction of a tourist determine their
readiness to share or market a destination with other potential tourists who may be willing
to tour. Unquestionably, satisfaction in marketing literature is a very important variable
that guides marketers to be successful, as satisfaction is connected to the cognitive–affective
aspects of tourist experience, consumption of products, services, destination attributes and
repeat visit (Iniesta-Bonillo et al., 2016; Prebensen and Xie, 2017). To sum up, the current
study hypothesises that GMT motives (i.e. push-pull factors) might have a significant effect
on their satisfaction. When tourists have a better experience, they will be satisfied with the
selected destinations:
 H2. GMT motives (i.e. push-pull factors) would have a significant effect on their Travel
satisfaction. motivations
satisfaction
Tourist satisfaction and word-of-mouth
A review of literature showed that WoM has tremendous influence on destination decisions,
attitudes and behavioural intentions, and influences travel decisions (Jalilvand, 2017; Xia
and Bechwati, 2008). Tourists’ decisions and choices will invariably depend on the perceived
satisfactory service delivery. Other studies have found a significant relationship between
WoM and satisfaction, based on Islamic tourists’ intention to re-visit Islamic tourist
destinations (Fakharyan et al., 2012). For instance, in a Jordanian context, Albarq (2014)
established a significant influence of WoM on tourists’ travel intention and choice of
destination. Furthermore, Yollanda et al. (2018) affirmed that Islamic facilities, “halalness”,
non-alcoholic drinks and gambling-free facilities, being the sources of satisfaction, had
positive and significant effect on WoM. In the light of these previous studies, this study
hypothesises as follows:

H3. Satisfaction of GMT would have a significant effect on their WoM

Moderating effects of Islamic practices on tourist motives and satisfaction

Theories have been applied to the understanding of religious practices and motives
underlying Muslim tourists, of which Halal was found to be a key moderator in the
relationship between Islamic practice and Islamic tourists’ satisfaction. Using Islamic
Practices as a moderator variable between PULF and Tourist satisfaction and also PUSF
and Tourist satisfaction is relevant in that the travel motives of Muslim tourists are largely
guided by Islamic norms and belief practices that would exist at destinations. However,
Muslim tourists will react in different ways based on their perceptions of religious norms
and beliefs practices. The research anticipates that from PPMT perspective, Islamic
practices might moderate the relationships between the PULF, PUSF and Tourist
satisfaction of GMT. Again, the significant moderating effects of Islamic practices of
previous studies (Ahmad et al., 2015; Battour et al., 2014; Bogan et al., 2016; Hassan, 2015;
Portia et al., 2003) have stimulated and provided an additional opportunity for this study
also to make a similar attempt to test whether Islamic tourism would significantly moderate
the relationships in a different research context which would enhance a more holistic
understanding of GMT. It is important to note that one of the factors that influence Muslims
tourists at destinations is the religious practices, which was found to have moderating
effects on level of tourist satisfaction (Battour et al., 2014; Bogan et al., 2016). According to
Battour and Ismail (2016) Halal has been defined a practice that is allowed in Islamic
teachings. Studies depict that Halal is most significant attributes for Muslim tourists
engaging on IT (Dinar Standard and Crescentrating, 2012). In some studies, Halal tourism
and Islamic tourism are similar in meaning (Battour and Ismail, 2016; El-Gohary, 2015;
Henderson, 2010; Khan and Scott, 2014; Rahman et al., 2017; Wilson, 2017). Other
researchers maintan that whilst Halal tourism is about what is permissible for Muslim
tourists in the tourism industry, Islamic tourism entails the visitation of both Muslim and
Non-Muslims to a destination to learn about the culture and the religion (Battour and Ismail,
2016; Battour et al., 2019; Bogan and Sarıısık, 2019; Harahsheh et al., 2019; WTM, 2007).
Furtherance to this, Battour et al. (2010) posited two types of Halal attributes (tangible and
intangible). The tangible attributes consist of prayer facilities, hotel and Halal food, while
the intangible attributes consist of Islamic entertainment, Islamic dress code, general Islamic
JIMA morality and Islamic call for prayer. These are the moderating motives that trigger Muslims
to engage in tourism journey. For instance, Battour et al. (2014) indicated that the
moderating effect of Halal on the link between Islamic tourism and satisfaction was of great
importance because it enabled a direct effect on tourists’ satisfaction.
Moreover, the results from previous studies revealed the differential effects of Islamic
practice (Halal) on motives for embarking on Islamic tourism. Identifying such effects are
important for better insights into tourism services and tourist satisfaction of Halal segments
and for better understanding of the different motives underlying Islamic tourism (Rahman
et al., 2017). Furthermore, Halal should be the moderating approach to Islamic tourism
rather than a type of tourism, because Islamic tourism connotes adherence to Islamic rules
and regulations. In this regard, it is suggested that Islamic norms and practices at the
destination might push or pull GMT, which implies that religious practices could moderate
the relationship between Islamic tourism and tourist satisfaction:

H4. Islamic practices at destinations would significantly moderate the relationship

between PULF and Tourist satisfaction of GMT.
H5. Islamic practices at destinations would significantly moderate the relationship
between PUSF and Tourist satisfaction of GMT.

Methodology
Data gathering and sampling
This survey was conducted in three tourist sites of Northern Ghana, namely Mole Park,
Larabanga and Paga crocodile pond, and these are recognised among the World Cultural
Heritage sites (Ghanaguardian, 2017). These sites were selected due to their unique desert
culture, architecture (e.g. thatched homes, mud-and-stick mosques, painted adobe
structures) wildlife, savanna and beautiful scenery atmosphere that attract both domestic
and international tourists. Added to these, each site offers unique tourist experience. Mole
Park was the first identified wildlife protected area in Ghana (UNESCO, 2000) and is also
Ghana’s largest wildlife refuge (Ghanaguardian, 2017). Currently, the park has an estimated
436 population of elephants and 1,392 buffalos and over. In addition, there are about 126
warthogs, 253 waterbucks, 337 kobs, 82 bushbucks, 2,813 hartebeests and 300 identified
bird species (Ghanaguardian, 2017). The Larabanga Mosque is the oldest mosque in Ghana
and possibly in West Africa built in 1421 by Moorish traders in the ancient Sudanese
architectural style (World Monuments Fund, 2017). This mosque has an old Quran, believed
to be given to the residents as a gift from heaven in 1650 to the then Imam, Yidan Barimah
as a Fulfillment to his prayers (Ghana Museum and Monument Board, 2015). This attracts a
lot of Islamic believers to tour the site. Lastly, the Paga crocodile pond is the only place in
Africa where tourists could interact with huge harmless crocodiles that are 90 years old and
over (Travel to Discover Ghana, 2012). The site has become one of the most popular ponds
within the country, due to the friendliness of the reptiles. Outstandingly, the Northern part
of Ghana is more dominated by Muslims. This provided an opportunity to the researchers to
gather sufficient data for this study. The region is one of the most famous and popular
tourist destinations that attract a great number of tourists within the country. An
exploratory research design and quantitative approach were used. Hair et al. (2013)
explained that exploratory designs are mostly used to discover crucial issues and relevant
variables. This suggests that PUSF and PULF of GMT can be uncovered using the
exploratory design that is quantitative in nature. According to Malhotra (2007), a study that
intends to gather data from a bigger sample and apply statistical methods, should consider Travel
adopting quantitative research. motivations
Furthermore, purposive sampling method was used, targeting only Muslim participants
at the selected destinations. Screening questions were used to identify Islamic tourists and
satisfaction
also to avoid double sampling of tourists. The participants were conveniently sampled at the
destination sites based on their willingness and readiness to complete self-administered
questionnaires. The main reason for using convenience sampling technique was due to its
easy accessibility of participants (Creswell, 2014; Etika et al., 2016). This research used
multi-stage approaches in determining the expected sample size, due to the nature of the
targeted population. The target population for this study is considered as infinite
population. Kozak (2008) defined infinite population as a situation where the total number of
elements of the population is not documented or known. Interestingly, there are no official
data on the number of Muslim tourists in the selected areas. This recommendation was
relevant to determine the sample size for the study. Secondly, guided by the suggestion of
minimum sample size for infinite population of Louangrath (2014) which was used to
determine the minimum sample size for this study within an infinite population context.
Using the multi-stage non-finite population method (MNP) also known as (n-omega)
approach at 5 per cent error and 0.95 confidence interval provided 34 sample size as the
minimum size to begin with. Thirdly, Malhotra and Birks (2006) also argued that in a
situation where the researcher does not have official information on the total number of the
population, one of the recommended flexible approaches is to multiply the items of the
studied variables in the questionnaire. Then 4 to 5 times bigger than the number of items or
indicators in the questionnaire should be sufficient as sample size. Since, the proposed model
of this study consisted of five constructs and their corresponding indicators were (PUSF =
16, PULF = 19, Satisfaction = 10 WoM = 4, Islamic practice = 8), thus, 57 indicators
(57
5 = 285), this means that 285 and above is the expected sample size. These evidences
provided the foundation for the decision on the sample size of 337. The research therefore
used a sample size of 337 representing 64.6 per cent response rate of 521 of the administered
questionnaires.

Instrumentation
To investigate the motivational factors of GMT, the study adopted a total of 43 items of
PULF and PUSF were adapted from previous studies (Baloglu and Uysal, 1996; Battour
et al., 2014). Tourist satisfaction was adapted (Quintal and Polczynski, 2010). WoM items
were also adapted from Harrigan et al. (2006). Lastly the scale used for Islamic practices
were also adapted from Battour et al. (2014). All the adapted items were seen to be useful as
they helped to establish the travel motives of GMT. Earlier, the findings of Battour et al.
(2014) confirmed the useful of these adapted scales in their study of Muslim tourists in
Malaysia. The final questionnaire developed to measure the constructs used a five-point
Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5). The interaction effect
(Islamic practice*PUSF, Islamic practice *PULF) is a result of multiplying the explanatory
variables of PUSF and PULF with the moderator IP (dummy: 1 = high practice and lower
practice = 0) as recommended by Chin et al. (2003).
Tests for Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability (CR) were performed to check
the reliability of the constructs used. For a construct to be considered as reliable, the alpha
value and the CR value should exceed 0.7. To ascertain the validity of the loadings of the
constructs, CFA was used. Convergent and discriminant validity were established. The
average variance extracted (AVE) was used to check the convergent with a threshold
exceeding 0.50 (Hair et al., 2014). Discriminant validity was also tested to find out whether
JIMA the latent constructs were distinct from one other. According to Fornell and Larcker (1981)
the square root of a construct’s AVE should be greater than the correlations between the
constructs in the model to establish the discriminant validity. All the AVE values of all the
constructs presented in (Table I-III) are greater than 0.50, demonstrating convergent and
discriminant validity. To sum up, the reliability and validity of the adopted instruments

Factor Mean SD Loading Cronbach’s a CR AVE

Family togetherness 3.75 0.91 0.78

Being together as a family 4.43 0.79 0.89 0.83
Visiting friends and relatives 3.84 1.08 0.85 0.83
Seeing as much as possible 3.72 1.16 0.76 0.82
Visiting places my family came from 3.01 1.44 0.61 0.83
Knowledge and Education 3.76 0.85 0.68
Experiencing different environment 3.13 1.26 0.81 0.83
Learning new things or increasing knowledge 3.58 1.23 0.70 0.83
Seeing new destinations 4.13 0.87 0.69 0.84
Visiting historical sites 4.26 0.87 0.51 0.83
Achievement 3.43 0.95 0.84
Going places friends have not been 3.66 1.19 0.88 0.83
Meeting new people 3.23 1.28 0.84 0.83
Going to places that I have not visited before 3.18 1.26 0.84 0.83
Talking about the tour 3.66 1.18 0.82 0.84
Escape 4.00 0.83 0.65
Getting a change from a busy job 4.16 0.91 0.80 0.83
Feeling at home away from home 3.68 1.08 0.67 0.84
Table I. Experiencing a simpler lifestyle 4.13 0.85 0.59 0.83
Push motives Getting away from the demands at home 4.01 1.01 0.53 0.84

Factors Mean SD Loading Cronbach’s a CR AVE

Different culture 3.78 1.01 0.84 0.66

Interesting and friendly local people 3.34 1.13 0.71 0.87
Historic sites 4.05 1.01 0.68 0.87
Different culture from my 3.87 0.97 0.66 0.87
Interesting towns/villages 3.87 0.92 0.61 0.87
Natural Scenery 3.96 0.97 0.85 0.67
Natural ecological sites 3.98 0.96 0.70 0.87
Wilderness and undisturbed nature 3.72 1.08 0.68 0.87
Outstanding scenery 4.17 0.87 0.63 0.87
Wide space and activities 3.87 0.98 0.84 0.67
Personal safety 3.69 0.90 0.83 0.87
Variety of activities to see 4.22 0.93 0.75 0.87
Variety of games (eg. Draft game) 3.66 1.02 0.57 0.87
Wide spaces to get away from crowds 3.90 1.08 0.55 0.87
Cleanness and shopping 3.98 1.03 0.8 0.62
Shopping facilities 4.08 1.08 0.70 0.87
Reliance/Privacy 4.10 1.04 0.61 0.87
Table II. Quality restaurant 3.47 1.19 0.59 0.87
Pull motives Standard of hygiene and cleanness 4.27 0.81 0.58 0.87
Constructs Loading AVE Reliability CR Mean SD
Travel
motivations
WoM 0.71 0.96 4.10 0.81 satisfaction
I would encourage friends and relatives to do business
with this tourism site 0.79 0.88 4.16 0.79
I would recommend this tourism site to someone who
seeks my advice 0.77 0.88 4.14 0.75
I would say positive things about this tourism site to other
people 0.68 0.89 3.92 0.90
I received good comments from my friends anytime l
mentioned where l visited 0.60 0.88 4.19 0.81
Tourist Satisfaction 0.64 0.99 3.94 0.90
After the tour, it helped develop my spiritual 0.78 0.88 3.31 1.19
I feel good when I share my experience with others 0.78 0.88 4.24 0.70
I felt my heritage was displayed 0.70 0.87 3.54 1.13
I am positive in participating in the tour in the future 0.60 0.88 4.19 0.81
I am satisfied with the general Islamic morals at the sites 0.59 0.88 4.23 0.78
I am satisfied with the Islamic facilities at the sites 0.59 0.88 4.16 0.77
I have enjoyed myself in the tour 0.59 0.87 4.25 0.72
The tour contributed to my education 0.56 0.88 4.13 0.83
The tour made me feel proud 0.54 0.88 4.01 0.92
Overall I am satisfied with the tour 0.70 0.87 3.40 1.14
Islamic practices 0.72 0.97 3.80 0.97
Prevalence of Islamic dress code (e.g. Hijab) at public
places 0.84 0.87 3.76 0.98
Availability of Halal food at tourism sites 0.81 0.88 4.04 0.83
Availability of prayer facilities at tourism sites 0.77 0.87 3.80 0.93
Availability of water supply in toilets at tourism sites 0.69 0.86 3.97 0.84
Banning by the authority of indecent display of affection
between sexes at public places (such as kissing) 0.70 0.87 3.83 1.01
Banning by the authority of prostitution 0.65 0.87 3.48 1.10 Table III.
Banning of alcoholic drinks by the authority at public
Tourist satisfaction,
places (such as tourism sites 0.64 0.87 3.70 1.05
Availability of segregated areas for women at the tour word of mouth and
sites 0.65 0.87 3.81 1.03 Islam practice

provided evidence that the questions were reliable and valid. Noticeably, none of the
adapted items were dropped as they all met the threshold of 0.5 above of the loading of the
CFA. Therefore, the remaining instruments were considered suitable for the current study.
In addition, structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques was applied to test the
relationships and confirm the hypotheses for the study. According to Bryne (2009) SEM is
an effective statistical tool, used in testing models with multiple relationships that include
moderating or mediating variables. Bollen (1989) and Jöreskog and Sörbom (1993) indicated
that one of the advantages of using SEM is its strength as a multivariate technique, as it
combines aspects of factor analysis and multiple regression. Therefore, SEM is used in
analysing multiple hypothesised relationships among observed and unobserved (latent)
variables in determining whether the interrelationships are consistent with the data sample.
SEM has been used within the Islamic tourism context of previous studies (Battour et al.,
2014; Battour et al., 2019; Rahman et al., 2017). Therefore, this study applied SEM to verify
the path effects of PUSF, PULF, tourist satisfaction and WoM and simultaneously tested the
moderating effect of Islamic practice in the research model.
JIMA Finding and discussion
Demographic
The results of personal information of the participants revealed that majority were male
(63.7 per cent) and aged between 45-54 years (32.9 per cent). Most of the tourists were
married (46.2 per cent). However, in terms of education, majority had first degree (37.7
per cent). Majority of the respondents also had monthly income of US$2,000 and above,
which accounted for 32.3 per cent. Thirty-eight point four per cent (38.4 per cent) were self-
employed. Most of the participants were visiting the selected destinations for first time (47.3
per cent). The study has shown the averages of the constructs, reliability, composite
reliability and validity (Table I-III). PULF recorded a composite average value of (3.74),
PUSF (3.72), TS (3.94), WoM (4.10) and Islamic practice (3.80). These findings revealed that
GMT agreed that they were influenced by their inner and socio-psychological desires to
travel (PULF) and pulled by destination characteristics (e.g. different cultures, natural
environment, varieties of activities, shopping etc.). To sum up the results, it was indicated
that the tourists agreed that Islamic practices at the destinations were important to them,
and were ready to recommend the tours to others, since all the tourists were satisfied with
their destinations.

Measurement and structural model evaluation

The study presented the results of the measurement and structural models as recommended
(Akamavi et al., 2015; Bentler and Bornett, 1980). The measurement model is given as: x2 =
174.353, df = 92, p = 0.002, root mean squared error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.092,
comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.925, Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) = 0.932 and standardised root
mean squared residual (SRMR) = 0.04 revealing unsatisfied goodness of fit. The model was
refined through the modification indices. An examination of the modification indices
suggested that an improvement in the overall goodness of fit of the model could be achieved
by allowing PUSF to correlate with PULF, and this path was therefore added to the model.
The final statistics for the structural model was (x2 = 177.208, df = 94, p = 0.002), root mean
squared error of approximation (RMSEA) was 0.001, comparative fit index (CFI) and
Tucker–Lewis index (TLI) were 0.975 and 0.954 respectively, and standardised root mean
squared residual (SRMR) was 0.001 revealing that the measurement model fit the data and
had met the cut-off points (Hu and Bentler, 1999; Steiger, 2007; Barrett, 2007) presented in
(Table V). The goodness-of-fit indices for the CFA analysis were within the acceptable level
(Chi-square > 0.05, RMSEA # 0.08, CFI  0.90, TLI  0.90 and SRMSR # 0.05) (Barrett,
2007; Diamantopoulos and Siguaw, 2000; Hu and Bentler, 1999; Steiger, 2007). Nonetheless,
the significant chi-square test is a common finding in research and was not surprising
regarding the sample size (Bagozzi and Yi, 2012). The remaining fit indices (RMSEA, CFI,
TLI and SRMR) of the model exceeded the suggested thresholds (see Table V). All the paths
estimated in the model were significant and hypotheses were in line with previous literature.
Also, the results of the CFA were summarised and presented in (Table I to III). The loadings
of the AVE were above the cut-off point of 0.5 (Table II-IV) that provided evidence of
convergent validity (Fornell and Larcker, 1981). Prior to this, the Cronbach’s alpha reliability
analysis was calculated to establish the internal consistency of the items and confirm the
reliability of the items used for the current study. The findings of the Cronbach’s alpha and
the composite reliability shown in (Table I-III) exceeded the threshold of 0.7 (Hair et al.,
2010). Thus, it is suggested that there is internal consistency among the items used for the
current study. Again, the correlation coefficient showed in (Table IV) was not above 0.80,
revealing that multicollinearity is not an issue (Hair et al., 2010).
 To fulfil the requirement of the discriminant validity, the square root of the construct’s Travel
AVE should be greater than their inter-factor correlation (Fornell and Larcker, 1981). As motivations
shown in (Table IV), all the inter-factor correlation results obtained for the studied
constructs were less than 0.60 and the square roots of the AVEs were more than the
satisfaction
correlation values. This shows that the constructs are distinct from one another. Thus, there
is evidence of discriminative validity.
Earlier, the common method bias (CMB) was tested. This research is a cross sectional
study, where data was collected from the same respondents at the same time or using the
same technique for predictor and outcome variable (Heppner et al., 2008), hence to measure
the bias, Harman’s single factor was conducted to determine the extent of CMB in this study.
The simultaneous loading of all the items in a principal component factor analysis produce a
total variance of 24 per cent (<50 per cent) acceptable maximum threshold of total variance
(Podsakoff et al., 2003). This implies that there is no possibility of CMB (Table V).

Hypothesis testing
Table V shows the results of the SEM. SEM provided support for H1, H2, H3, H4 and H5. It
is indicated that PUSF have a significant positive effect on TS ( b = 0.397, p < 0.05)
supported H1, PUSF has a significant positive effect on TS ( b = 0.283, p < 0.05) supported
H2, TS has a significant and positive effect on WoM ( b = 6.172, p < 0.05), supported H3.

Test of moderation effect

To test the interaction effect, the study applied a two stage approach recommended by
previous studies (Chin et al., 2003; Sarkar et al., 2001; Walter et al., 2006). In stage 1, the

Constructs PUSF PULF TS WoM IP

PUSF 0.859 0.382** 0.227** 0.472** 0.353**

PULF 0.382** 0.811 0.374** 0.365** 0.377**
TS 0.227** 0.374** 0.800 0.337** 0.543**
WoM 0.472** 0.365** 0.337** 0.843 0.465**
IP 0.353** 0.377** 0.543** 0.465 0.849

Notes: diagonal in italics is the square root of AVE; for discriminant validity the square root of AVE Table IV.
should be higher than off-diagonal variables; correlation is significant at *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; NB: TS Inter-factor
(Tourist Satisfaction); IP (Islamic Practices) correlations

Hypothesis Beta coefficients Proposed effect Results

PUSF ! TS (H1) 0.397*** þ Supported

PULF ! TS (H2) 0.283** þ Supported
TS ! WoM (H3) 6.172** þ Supported
IP* PUSF ! TS (H4) 0.016*** þ Supported
IP* PULF !TS (H5) 0.026** þ Supported
Coefficient of determination (R2) 0.326
Goodness-of-fit statistics x2 = 177.208, df = 94, p = 0.002, RMSEA = 0.001, CFI = 0.975, TLI = 0.954.
SRMR = 0.001
Table V.
Notes: ****p # 0.001; ***p # 0.01; **p # 0.05; *p # 0.10 Hypothesis testing
JIMA structural model analysis was performed without the moderating variable and the results
presented above. In stage 2, the result of the measurement model statistics including the
moderating variable was (x2 = 178.221, df = 95, p = 0.002), RMSEA = 0.07, CFI = 0.925,
TLI = 0.911 and SRMR= 0.06 providing a poor fit. The final indices of the structural model
including the moderating variable demonstrated (x2 = 179.002, df = 95, p = 0.002) RMSEA =
0.01, CFI = 0.981, TLI = 0.972 and SRMR= 0.02 providing evidence of good fit. This study
was guided by previous studies (Chin et al., 2003; Moretti, 2015) in reporting the
measurement and structural statistics of the interaction model. In this study, the coefficient
resulting from the interaction effects on the relationships between PUSF and TS, (IP *
PUSF ! TS) is statistically significant ( b = 0.016, p < 0.05, supporting H4, and H5 was
also supported as it proved that the moderating effect of IP on the relationship between
PULF and TS, (IP * PULF ! TS) is statistically significant ( b = 0.026, p < 0.05, supporting
H5. However, the result of the explained variance that is the R-squared in stage 1, show
31.82 per cent while the result in stage 2 record 32.6 per cent. In comparing the results in
stage 2 to stage 1, show that the R-squared was increased to 0.78 per cent. The increased
R-squared is accredited to the moderating effects. The effect size was also determined to
measure the strength of the theoretical relationship, including the moderating effects (Chin
et al., 2003). The recommended method of testing effect size was applied (Cohen, 1988). The
effect size threshold values of 0.02, 0.15 and 0.35 are regarded small, moderate and large
effect (Cohen, 1988). The significance of the effect size was also confirmed using a p-value
(#0.05) as recommended (Tabachnik and Fidell, 2007). The calculated effect size of this
study is 0.01, with corresponding significant value (0.03) demonstrating that IP is
statistically significant to moderate the relationships and has a small effect (0.01 < 0.02) on
TS. In all the coefficient of determination reported for the tested research model accounted
for 32.6 per cent variations in WoM. The analysis model with moderation effects are
presented in Figure 1.

Discussion of findings
The main purpose of the study was to examine the significant effects of push-pull motives of
GMT, Tourism satisfaction and WoM as well as the moderating effects of Islamic practice

Figure 1.
Tested research
model
on the relationships between push-pull motives and Tourism satisfaction, guided by the Travel
PPMT. The overall findings of the SEM provided evidence that PUSF, PULF and Islamic motivations
practice were substantiated to be significant factors that explain Tourism satisfaction and
WoM of GMT in a developing country. This result is recognised as one of the original
satisfaction
contributions of this study to prior literature in Islamic tourism marketing globally. These
findings are suitable to explain the assumptions of the PPMT. Surprisingly, it is empirically
established that GMT had an inner desire that pushed them to tour to satisfy their socio-
psychological needs. This is buttressed by pull motives which explained the destination
characteristics as a major factor to pull the GMT to select destinations within the country. It
suggests that GMT’s curiosity of learning or experiencing new or different environments,
need to increase their knowledge and meeting new people in unfamiliar destinations might
have increased their decision to travel, and that agreed with previous findings (Baniya and
Paudel, 2016; Khuong and Ha, 2014; Wong and Musa, 2014). This is simply because
individual need or desire to tour is seen as a fundamental factor that would motivate one’s
behaviour regardless of the religious affiliation (Park and Yoon, 2009; Rahman et al., 2017).
In the same vein, the study has highlighted the importance of the significant effects of PUSF
and PULF in predicting satisfaction of GMT, supporting previous literature (Battour et al.,
2014; Chi and Qu, 2008; Devesa et al., 2010; Preko et al., 2019; Yoon and Uysal, 2005; Zabkar
et al., 2010). Although the study of Battour et al. (2012) recorded “achievement” as the most
important PUSF among Malaysian Islamic tourists, this present study found “escape” as the
most relevant PUSF among GMT. This finding from the Ghanaian context is in line with the
typical tourism motivation assumption that tourists seek to escape the daily demands of life
(Valek and Fotiadis, 2018). Indeed, tourism can offer freedom from work, and traditional roles
and the liberty to have leisure in a society whose values and expectations are consistent with
that of the tourist (Yoon and Uysal, 2005). Thus, GMT could leave their traditional homes or
society without much worry about their values, since the element of “escape” does not connote
complete alienation from their values and culture (Yoon and Uysal, 2005). Further, the variable
“cleanliness and shopping” was identified as the most important PULF to GMT,
while Malaysian Islamic tourists’ were rather pulled by “natural scenery” at destination. The
importance of “cleanliness and shopping’ to GMT places them in the category of ‘accessibility
and expenditure seekers’ in tourism, based on the classification by Sung et al. (2015). This could
be so, because normally, Ghanaian travellers are known for buying souvenirs for friends and
relatives due to the extended family practices, so the GMT could be driven to destinations
where the prospects for shopping exist.
The results support the arguments presented by these researchers (Battour et al., 2014;
Preko et al., 2019; Zabkar et al., 2010) that the significant levels of tourist satisfactions are
connected to tourists’ needs. Therefore, the promotion and integration of Islamic tourism in
a non-Muslim state like Ghana is achievable when Muslim Tourists’ needs are timely
identified, supported with the necessary and the needed facilities at tourism destinations. In
addition, it is more profitable for marketers, practitioners and businesses to understand
Muslims’ travel needs to provide Muslim-friendly tourism products and services that would
advance their spiritual well-being within context.
Furthermore, the result has showed that tourist satisfaction has significant and
positive effects on WoM. This result is in line with earlier studies (Han et al., 2017;
Thakur, 2016; Wardi et al., 2018; Wu et al., 2017; Wu, 2016). Conceivably, satisfaction in
marketing literature is seen as one of the antecedents of customer loyal, where satisfied
customers are willing and ready to evangelise or share their positive experiences with
other potential tourists, friends and relatives. Possibly, the Muslim tourists would
recommend these destinations to others. However, the result of the moderating effects of
JIMA Islamic practice on the relationships between tourism satisfaction and push-pull motives
results supported these previous studies (Battour et al., 2014; Bogan et al., 2016). Bogan
et al. (2016) explained that Islamic tourism is guided by the Islamic rules and regulations
and all types of Islamic tourism should follow the Islamic principles. This is an
interesting discovery that suggests that Islamic norms and practices are very significant
to explain the relationships between travel motives and tourist satisfaction of Islamic
tourists regardless of their country of origin, whether Islamic or non-Islamic state.

Conclusion
In summary, the paper has contributed to the theoretical development of the understanding
of Islamic tourism concepts in a non-Muslim state on the African continent, and extended
global literature on tourism marketing. Though the significant effects of PUSF, PULF,
tourism satisfaction, Islamic practices on WoM have been neglected in the earlier Islamic
tourism literature in this setting, this study has enlightened the understanding of the travel
motives of GMT within context that would guide future studies of Islamic tourism in
developing nations. Certainly, this revelation is supported by the findings of this study, as
there was support for five hypotheses that showed positive effects. Notably, the research
findings are exhibited in three ways. One, the results provided evidence that PUSF (escape,
knowledge and knowledge, family togetherness and achievement) and PULF (different
culture, natural scenery, wide space and activities and cleanness and shopping) are equally
important variables that influence Islamic tourists’ satisfaction. Two, it is established that
GMT are willing to share positive WoM with other potential tourists, and the availability of
Islamic practice is very significant in their decision-making, as Islamic practices would
possibly increase the choice of destinations. Three, the study’s result of the significant
interactions of Islamic tourism have proved that PPMT is compatible with moderating
effects. Finally, the study has made a novel contribution to Islamic tourism literature by
examining the significant moderating interactions of religious practices on tourists’
satisfaction and its positive influence on WoM. Interestingly, the results of the current paper
are distinct from the previous investigations of Wardi et al. (2018) who explored the direct
and found no significant effect of Halal practices on WoM. Although, the study of Battour
et al. (2012) recorded “achievement” as the most important PUSF among Malaysian Islaimic
tourists, this present study found “escape” as the most relevant PUSF among GMT. The
variable “cleanliness and shopping” was also identified to be the most important PULF to
GMT while Malaysian Islamic tourists’ were rather pulled by “natural scenery” at
destination. Contextually, this study is the first to investigate the effects of Islamic practices
on the relationships between push-pull motives and tourist satisfaction in the Islamic
context of a non-Islamic country viewpoint. In all, following the revelations above, the
results of this study would provide opportunities to government officials, businesses,
tourism practitioners and other stakeholders of the hospitality industry to solve the problem
of Muslim travel motives, satisfaction and loyalty, to offer quality services and also make
policies to encourage Islamic practices at destinations in the country. To have a better
understanding of these differences in PUSF and PULF in non-Muslim state, future studies
need to replicate this study in other states that have similar context with Ghana.

Implications
The study has explored the significant effects and the relationships between tourism and Islam,
concentrating on the religious implications that have theoretical perspective for tourism policy
development in non-Muslim country. The findings advance the understanding of applying the
PPMT in Islamic tourism of a developing nation. First, the primary contribution of this study is
the development of a conceptual model that is grounded on the PPMT by introducing Islamic Travel
tourism as a moderating variable that linked travel motives and satisfaction for a better motivations
understanding of Muslim tourist behaviour, which has implication for the development of
destination tourism in Ghana and an extension of Islamic tourism literature on the globe.
satisfaction
Second, this study makes contribution to knowledge. Majority of the academic research on
Muslim tourism behaviour are more concentrated in Muslim nations. However, this study has
made the first attempt to explore the travel motives of GMT in a non-Islamic country context.
This highlights the prospect of developing Islamic tourism strategies that would promote
Islamic practices at destinations. In addition, the result also provided empirical evidence that
tourism satisfaction is significant variable that helps to explain WoM of Ghanaian Muslims
and this has not been investigated before within the Ghanaian environment. Identifying these
relevant findings might help marketers, businesses, practitioner, government, non-
governmental institutions and other stakeholders to have an improved understanding and
knowledge about Islamic tourism in this part of the globe. This offers the prospects in
developing destination marketing tourism strategies that would increase Muslims’ travelling
desire and choice, as well as attract more Muslims to tourism sites. Further, destination
marketers could use the results as a tool to deliver Islamic products or services to satisfy
Muslim tourists when they are on vacations.
The study has also shown practical marketing implications. This research provides the
opportunities to all the businesses in the industry to articulate and possibly solve the problems
of WoM, and thereby increase Islamic tourist satisfaction. This study suggests that businesses
and practitioners need to make available attractive Islamic tourism programmes by ensuring
worshipping facilities, providing Halal foods and discouraging non-Islamic practices like
gambling, alcohol, prostitution among others at destination sites. These are achievable through
policy formulation, collaborations and capacity building of the players in the industry.
Imperatively, managers and business owners must strive to enhance satisfaction levels of the
Islamic tourist in accordance with the PUSF, PULF and Islamic practices identified to
guarantee effective WoM. The implications of the above are that tourism businesses, as well as
the tourism boards/authorities of developing countries, specifically Ghana, should find lasting
ways of encouraging and sustaining the concept of Islamic tourism in non-Islamic states.
Again, much education and public awareness are needed to prove that Islamic tourism can co-
exist with other forms of tourisms in non-Islamic states.

Limitations and area for future study

The current paper has contributed to the effort to advance the understanding of the effects
of push-pull motivational factors among GMT which is limited in previous studies within
context. Although, the study has offered some new insight into the importance of religious
practices at tourist destination, there are some limitations. The study used 285 sample size
and applied convenience sampling method as well as using cross-sectional data which are
possible to constrain the generalisation of the findings, thus, no generalisation can be made
beyond this environment. Further studies need to use a bigger sample size as well as testing
for separate moderation effect of multi-groups (high and low Islamic practice) in similar
geographical context, which might aid the comparison of the studied variables with specific
countries. Further, this study focussed on travel motives and tourist satisfaction as a
significant predictor of WoM. However, there are other factors such as Islamic hospitality,
Islamic tourist cultural values, Islamic beliefs, Islamic entertainment, Islamic morality,
cultural differences, and the way some Muslims understand tourism that are all needed to
advance Islamic tourism concepts globally. Furthermore, the introduction of the moderating
effects of Islamic practices on the other motivational theories could be considered.
JIMA References
Ahmad, A., Rahman, A. and Ab Rahman, S. (2015), “Assessing knowledge and religiosity on consumer
behavior towards halal food and cosmetic products”, International Journal of Social Science and
Humanity, Vol. 5 No. 1, pp. 101-107.
Akamavi, R., Mohamed, E., Pellmann, K. and Xu, Y. (2015), “Key determinants of passanger loyalty in
the low-cost airline business”, Tourism Management, Vol. 46, pp. 528-545.
Albarq, A. (2014), “Measuring the impacts of online word-of-Mouth on tourists’ attitude and intentions
to visit Jordan: an empirical study”, International Business Research, Vol. 7 No. 1, pp. 1-27.
Al-Hamarneh, A. (2008), “Islamic tourism: a long term strategy of tourist industries in the Arab world
after 9/11, Centre for research on the Arab world”, available at: www.ceraw.uni-mainz.de
(accessed 22 March 2019).
Alvarez, M. (2010), “Marketing of Turkey as a tourism destination”, Anatolia, Vol. 21 No. 1, pp. 123-138.
Aref, F. (2010), “Residents’ attitudes towards tourism impacts: a case study of shiraz, Iran”, Tourism
Analysis, Vol. 15 No. 2, pp. 253-261.
Bagozzi, R. and Yi, Y. (2012), “Specification, evaluation and interpretation of structural equation
models”, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 40 No. 1, pp. 8-34.
Baloglu, S. and Uysal, M. (1996), “Market segments of push and pull motivations: a canonical
correlation approach”, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 8
No. 3, pp. 32-38.
Baniya, R. and Paudel, K. (2016), “An analysis of push and pull travel motivations of domestic tourists
in Nepal”, Journal of Management and Development Studies, Vol. 27, pp. 16-30.
Barrett, P. (2007), “Structure equation modelling: adjudging model fit”, Personality and Individual
Differences, Vol. 42 No. 5, pp. 815-824.
Battour, M. and Ismail, M.N. (2016), “Halal tourism: concepts, practises, challenges and future”,
Tourism Management Perspectives, Vol. 19, pp. 150-154.
Battour, M., Battor, M.M. and Ismail, M. (2012), “The mediating role of tourist satisfaction: a study of
Muslim tourists in Malaysia”, Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, Vol. 3, pp. 279-297.
Battour, M., Battor, M. and Bhatti, M.A. (2013), “Islamic attributes of destination: construct
development and measurement validation, and their impact on tourist satisfaction”,
International Journal of Tourism Research, Vol. 26 No. 9, pp. 842-857.
Battour, M., Ismail, M.N., Battor, M. and Awais, M. (2014), “Islamic tourism: an empirical examination
of travel motivation and satisfaction in Malaysia”, Current Issues in Tourism, Vol. 20 No. 1,
pp. 1747-7603.
Battour, M.M., Ismail, M.N. and Battor, M. (2010), “The impact of destination attributes on Muslim
tourist’s choice”, International Journal of Tourism Research, Vol. 13 No. 6, pp. 527-540.
Bentler, P. and Bornett, D. (1980), “Significance test and goodness of fit in the analysis of covariance
structures”, Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 88 No. 3, pp. 588-606.
Bhuiya, A., Siwar, C., Ismail, S. and Islam, R. (2011), “Potentials of Islamic tourism: a case study of
Malaysia on east Coast economic region”, Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences,
Vol. 5 No. 6, pp. 1333-1340.
Bogan, E. and Sarıısık, M. (2019), “Halal tourism: conceptual and practical challenges”, Journal of
Islamic Marketing, Vol. 10 No. 1, pp. 87-96.
Bogan, E., Batman, O. and Sarıısık, M. (2016), Atalya, 3rd International Congress of Tourism and
Management Researches.
Bollen, K. (1989), “A new incremental fit index for general structural equation models”, Sociological
Methods and Research, Vol. 17 No. 3, pp. 303-316.
Bryne, B. (2009), Structural Equation Modelling with AMOS: Basic Concepts, Applicationand
Programming, 2nd ed., Routledge, London.
Chi, C. and Qu, H. (2008), “Examining th structural relationships of destination image, tourist Travel
satisfaction and destination loyalty: an integrated approach”, Tourism Management, Vol. 29
No. 4, pp. 624-636.
motivations
Chin, W., Marcolin, B. and Newsted, P. (2003), “A partial least square latent variable modeling approach
satisfaction
for measuring interaction effects: results from Monte Carlo simulation study and an electronic-
mail emotion/adoption study”, Information Systems Research, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 189-217.
Cohen, J. (1988), Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences, 2nd ed., Hillsdale Erlbaum, NJ.
Creswell, J. (2014), Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitatve and Mixed Methods Approaches, 4th ed.,
Sage, Los Angeles: CA.
Dayour, F. (2013), “Motivations of backpackers in the cape Coast-Elmina”, African Journal of
Hospitality Tourism and Leisure, Vol. 2 No. 3, pp. 1-13.
Devesa, M., Laguna, M. and Palacios, A. (2010), “The role of motivation in visitor satisfaction: empirical
evidence in rural tourism”, Tourism Management, Vol. 31 No. 4, pp. 547-552.
Diamantopoulos, A. and Siguaw, J.A. (2000), Introducing LISREL, Sage Publications, London.
Edwards, J. (2010), “Tourism in Turkmenistan”, in Scott, N. and Jafari, J. (Eds), Tourism in the Muslim
World, Emerald, Bingley, pp. 121-140.
El-Gohary, H. (2015), “Halal tourism, is it really halal?”, Tourism Management Perspectives, Vol. 19,
pp. 124-130.
Etika, I., Musa, S. and Alkassim, R. (2016), “Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive
sampling”, American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics, Vol. 5 No. 1, pp. 1-4.
Fakharyan, M., Jalilvand, M., Elyasi, M. and Mohammadi, M. (2012), “The influence of online word of
mouth communications on tourists’ attitudes toward Islamic destinations and travel intention:
Evidence from Iran”, African. Journal of Business Management, Vol. 38 No. 6, pp. 10381-10388.
Fornell, C. and Larcker, D. (1981), “Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables
and measurement error”, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 18 No. 1, pp. 39-50.
Ghana Museum and Monument Board (2015), “Ancient mosques of the Northern region”, available at:
www.ghanamuseums.org/what-is-gmmb.php (accessed 13 June 2019).
Ghanaguardian (2017), “UNESCO nominates Ghana’s mole national park as world heritage site”,
available at: https://ghanaguardian.com/unesco-nominates-ghanas-mole-national-park-world-
heritage-site (accessed 12 April 2019).
Global Muslim Travel Index (2019), Mastercard-Crescentrating (GMTI), Bukit Merah Central:
Crescentrating company.
Hair, J., Celsi, M., Oritinau, D. and Bush, R. (2013), Essentials of Marketing Research, 3rd ed., McGraw-
Hil, New York, NY.
Hair, J., Black, B., Babin, B., Anderson, R. and Tatham, R. (2010), Multivariate Data Analysis, London
Prentice Hall, London.
Hair, J., Sarstedt, M.J., Hopkins, L. and Kuppelwieser, V. (2014), “Partial least squares structural
equation modelling (PLS-SEM) an emerging tool in business research”, European Business
Review, Vol. 26 No. 2, pp. 106-121.
Hamira, Z. and Ghazali, M. (2012), “The relationship between Islamic religiosity and residents’
perceptions of socio-cultural impacts of tourism in Iran: Case studies of Sare’in and Masooleh”,
Tourism Management, Vol. 33 No. 4, pp. 802-814.
Han, H., Meng, B. and Kim, W. (2017), “Bike-travelling as a growing phenomenon: role of attributes, values,
satisfaction, desire, and gender in developing loyalty”, Tourism Management, Vol. 59, pp. 71-103.
Haq, F. and Jackson, J. (2009), “Spiritual journey to hajj: Australian and Pakistani experience”, Journal
of Management, Spirituality and Religion, Vol. 6 No. 2, pp. 141-156.
Haq, F. and Wong, H.Y. (2010), “Is spiritual tourism a new strategy for marketing Islam?”, Journal of
Islamic Marketing, Vol. 1 No. 2, pp. 136-148.
JIMA Harriga, P., Ever, U., Miles, P. and Daly, T. (2006), “Customer engagement with tourism social media
brands”, Tourism Management, Vol. 59, pp. 597-609.
Hassan, Z. (2015), “Factors affecting Muslim tourists choice of halal concept hotels and satisfaction in
Malaysia: Moderating effect of religious devotedness”, International Journal of Accounting and
Business Management, Vol. 3 No. 2, pp. 133-143.
Hazbun, W. (2009), “Modernity on the beach: a postcolonial reading from Southern shores”, Tourist
Studies, Vol. 9 No. 3, pp. 203-222.
Heaton, T., Spencer, J. and Oheneba-Sakyi, (2009), “Religion and socioeconomic attainment in Ghana”,
Review of Religious Research, Vol. 51 No. 1, pp. 71-86.
Henderson, J. (2010), “Sharia-compliant hotels”, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 10 No. 3,
pp. 246-254.
Heppner, P., Wampold, B. and Kilvlighan Jr, D. (2008), Research Design i n Counseling, 3rd ed.,
Thompson Learning, New York, NY.
Hossain, M.J., Chowdhury, F. and Ahmed, R. (2012), “Status of tourism research in Bangladesh: a
review of literature”, Bangladesh Research Foundation Journal, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 197-206.
Hu, L. and Bentler, P. (1999), “Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: conventional
criteria versus new alternatives”, Structural Equation Modeling, A Multidisciplinary Journal,
Vol. 6 No. 1, pp. 1-55.
Iniesta-Bonillo, M.A., Sánchez-Fernández, R. and Jiménez-Castillo, D. (2016), “Sustainability, value, and
satisfaction: model testing and cross-validation in tourist destinations”, Journal of Business
Research, Vol. 69 No. 11, pp. 5002-5007.
Jalilian, M., Danehkar, A. and Fami, H. (2012), “Determination of indicators and standards for tourism
impacts in protected Karaj river, Iran”, Tourism Management, Vol. 33 No. 1, pp. 61-63.
Jalilvand, M. (2017), “The effect of innovativeness and customer-oriented systems on performance in the hotel
industry of Iran”, Journal of Science and Technology Policy Management, Vol. 8 No. 1, pp. 43-61.
Jang, S., Bai, B., Hu, C. and Wu, C.-M. (2009), “Affect, travel motivation and travel intention: a sector
market”, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, Vol. 5 No. 1, pp. 153-162.
Jöreskog, K. and Sörbom, D. (1993), LISREL 8: Structural Equation Modeling with the SIMPLIS
Command Language, Scientific Software International, Chicago IL.
Khan, F. and Scott, N. (2014), “Muslim world and its tourisms”, Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 44, pp. 1-19.
Khuong, M.N. and Ha, H.T.T. (2014), “The influences of push and pull factors on the international
leisure tourists’ return intention to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – A Mediation analysis of
destination satisfaction”, International Journal of Trade, Economics and Finance, Vol. 5 No. 6,
p. 490.
Kozak, M. (2008), “Finite and infinite populations in biological statistics: should We distinguish them?”,
The Journal of American Science, Vol. 4 No. 1, pp. 59-62.
Louangrath, P. (2014), Sample Size Determination for Non-Finite Population, University of Thai
Chamber of Commerce (UTCC), Bangko.
Malhotra, N. (2007), Review of Marketing Research, in Malhotra, N.K. (Ed.), Emerald Group Publishing
Limited.
Malhotra, N. and Birks, D. (2006), Marketing Research: An Applied Approach, 3rd ed., Prentice Hall,
Upper Saddle River.
Mensah-Ansah, J., Martin, E. and Egan, D. (2011), “Tourism trends in Ghana: the accommodation
sector”, Tourism Analysis, Vol. 16 No. 2, pp. 157-168.
Mohsin, A., Ramli, N. and Alkhulayfi, B. (2016), “Halal tourism: emerging opportunities”, Tourism
Management Perspectives, Vol. 19, pp. 137-143.
Moretti, M. (2015), “Antecedents and moderators of golf tourists’ behavioral intentions: an empirical
study in a mediterranean destination”, EuroMed Journal of Business, Vol. 10 No. 3, pp. 1-27.
Myjoyonline (2018), “Toursim fetched $2.2m for Ghana in 2017”, available at: www.myjoyonline.com/ Travel
news/2018/September-26th/tourism-fetched-22m-for-ghana-in-2017.php
motivations
Norlida, H., Abu, H.S.M.N., Redzuan, O. and Mohd, S.H. (2010), “Malaysian tourism demand from the
Middle East market: a preliminary analysis”, International Journal of West Asian Studies, Vol. 2 satisfaction
No. 1, pp. 37-52.
Owusu, K. (2017), The Development of Islamic Education in Ghana: Perspectives of Reformers on the
Transformation of Integrated Public Islamic Schools, OH University, OH.
Oxford Business Group (2018), “Oxford business group”, available at: https://oxfordbusinessgroup.
com/overview/renewed-ambitions-influx-foreign-tourists-and-priority-funding-strategies-are-driving-
growth-sector (accessed 1 June 2019).
Park, D. and Yoon, Y. (2009), “Segmentation by motivation in rural tourism: a Korean case study”,
Tourism Management, Vol. 30 No. 1, pp. 99-108.
Patil, V. (2011), “Narrating political history about contested space: Tourism websites of India’s
northeast”, Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 38 No. 3, pp. 989-1008.
Podsakoff, P., MacKenzie, S., Lee, J. and Podsakoff, N. (2003), “Common method biases in behavioural
research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies”, Journal of Applied
Psychology, Vol. 88 No. 5, pp. 879-903.
Poria, Y., Butler, R. and Airey, D. (2003b), “The core of heritage tourism”, Annals of Tourism Research,
Vol. 30 No. 1, pp. 238-254.
Portia, Y., Butler, R. and Airey, D. (2003), “Tourism, religion and religiosity: a holy mess”, Current
Issues in Tourism, Vol. 6 No. 4, pp. 340-363.
Prebensen, N. and Xie, J. (2017), “Efficacy of co-creation and mastering on perceived value and
satisfaction in tourists’ consumption”, Tourism Management, Vol. 60, pp. 166-176.
Preko, A., Doe, F. and Dadzie, S.A. (2019), “The future of youth tourism in Ghana: motives, satisfaction
and behavioural intentions”, Journal of Tourism Futures, Vol. 5 No. 1, pp. 2-18.
Quintal, V. and Polczynski, A. (2010), “Factors influencing tourists’ revisit intentions”, Asia Pacific
Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. 22 No. 4, pp. 554-578.
Rahman, M.K., Zailani, S. and Musa, G. (2017), “What travel motivational factors influence Muslim
tourists towards MMITD?”, Journal of Islamic Marketing, Vol. 8 No. 1, pp. 48-73.
Religion Facts (2016), “Adherent statistics of world religions by country”, available at: www.
religionfacts.com/charts/adherents-by-country (accessed 22 December 2018).
Sarkar, M., Echambadi, R. and Harrison, J. (2001), “Alliance entrepreneurship and firm market
performance”, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 22 Nos 6/7, pp. 701-711.
Statista, (2018), “Tourism worldwide: Global travel and tourism industry statistics and facts”, available
at: www.statista.com/topics/962/global-tourism/ (accessed 25 December 2018).
Steiger, J. (2007), “Understanding the limitations of global fit assessment in structural equation
modelling”, Personality and Individual Differences, Vol. 42 No. 5, pp. 893-898.
Stephenson, M. and Ali-Knight, J. (2010), “Dubai’s tourism industry and its societal impact: social
implications and sustainable challenges”, Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, Vol. 8 No. 4,
pp. 278-292.
Sung, Y., Chang, K. and Sung, Y. (2015), “Market segmentation of international tourists based on motivation
to travel: a case study of Taiwan”, Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, Vol. 21, pp. 1-21.
Tabachnik, B. and Fidell, L. (2007), Using Multivariate Statistics, 5th ed., Allyn and Bacon, Boston
New York, NY.
Thakur, R. (2016), “Understanding customer engagement and loyalty: a case of mobile devices for
shopping”, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Vol. 32, pp. 151-163.
The Worldbank (2017), “Population, total”, available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.
TOTL (accessed 21 March 2019).
JIMA Travel to Discover Ghana (2012), “Paga crocodile pond, the bizarre tourist attraction”, (accessed 12
April 2019).
UNESCO (2000), “Mole national park”, available at: https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1391/
(accessed 12 April 2019).
UNWTO (2018), Report on Tourism and Culture Synergies, UNWTO, Madrid.
Uysal, M. and Jurowski, C. (1994), “Testing the push and pull factors”, Annals of Tourism Research,
Vol. 21 No. 4, pp. 844-846.
Valek, N. and Fotiadis, A. (2018), “Is tourism really an escape from everyday life? Everyday
leisure activities vs leisure travel activities of expats and Emirati nationals living in the
UAE”, International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 12 No. 2,
pp. 238-254.
Walter, A., Auer, M. and Ritter, T. (2006), “The impact of network capabilities and entrepreneurial
orientation on university spin-off performance”, Journal of Business Venturing, Vol. 21 No. 4,
pp. 541-567.
Wandusim, M. (2015), “Christian-Muslim relations in Ghana: the role of the youth”, Journal of Advocacy,
Research and Education, Vol. 4 No. 3.
Wardi, Y., Abror, A. and Trinanda, O. (2018), “Halal tourism: antecedent of tourist’s satisfaction and
word of mouth (WoM)”, Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, pp. 1-10.
Weidenfeld, A.D.I. and Ron, A.S. (2008), “Religious needs in the tourism industry”, Anatolia, Vol. 19
No. 2, pp. 357-361.
Wilson, J. (2017), Why I love the mark plus annual conference and Halal tourism. s.l.:December 2016-
January 2017 MarkPlus Inc.
Wong, K. and Musa, G. (2014), “Retirement motivation among Malaysia My second home”, Tourism
Management, Vol. 40 No. 1, pp. 141-154.
World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) (2017), Travel and Tourism Economic Impact 2017, World
Travel and Tourism Council, Ghana, London.
World Travel Market (2007), “The World Travel Market Global trend reports 2007”, Euromonitor
International, London.
Wu, C. (2016), “Destination loyalty modelling of the global tourism”, Journal of Business Research,
Vol. 69 No. 6, pp. 2213-2219.
Wu, F., Fan, S. and Zhao, J. (2017), “Community engagement and online word of mouth: an empirical
investigation”, Information and Management, Vol. 55, pp. 258-270.
Xia, L. and Bechwati, N. (2008), “Word of mouth: the role of cognitive personalization in online
consumer reviews”, Journal of Interactive Advertising, Vol. 1, pp. 3-13.
Yollanda, Y., Wardi, Y. and Abror, A. (2018), The Influence of Islamic Tourism on Word of Mouth about
Tourism in West Sumatera, Atlantis Press, Paris.
Yoon, Y. and Uysal, M. (2005), “An examination of the effects of motivation and satisfaction on
destination loyalty: a structural model”, Tourism Management, Vol. 26 No. 1, pp. 45-56.
Zabkar, V., Brencic, M. and Dmitrovic, T. (2010), “Modelling perceived quality, visitor satisfaction and
behavioural intentions at the destination level”, Tourism Management, Vol. 31 No. 4,
pp. 537-546.

Further reading
Adam, I., Charles, A. and Dayour, F. (2014), “International tourists’ satisfaction with Ghanaian upscale
restaurant service sand revisit intentions”, Journal of Quality Assurance on Hospitality and
Tourism, Vol. 23 No. 1, pp. 1-21.
Adongo, C.A., Anuga, S.W. and Dayour, F. (2015), “Will they tell others to taste? International tourists’
experience of Ghanaian cuisines”, Tourism Management Perspectives, Vol. 15, pp. 57-64.
Amissah, E. (2013), “Tourist satisfaction with hotel services in cape Coast and elmina”, Ghana. Travel
American Journal of Tourism Management, Vol. 2, pp. 26-33.
motivations
Ashley, C., De Brine, P., Lehr, A. and Wilde, H. (2007), The Role of the Tourism Sector in Expanding
Economic Opportunity, Harvard College, oversea development institute, London. satisfaction
Bentum-Ennin, I. (2014), “Drivers of international business and holiday tourism in Ghana: a non-
parametric approach. drivers of international business and holiday tourism in Ghana: a non-
parametric approach”, International Journal of Economics and Business Studies, Vol. 4 Nos 1/2,
pp. 25-42.
Cable Network News (2019), “Ghana ranks fourth on the list of countries with the most interesting
tourist”, (accessed 27 March 2019).
Crompton, J. (1979), “Motivations for pleasure vacation”, Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 6 No. 4,
pp. 408-424.
Dinar Standard and Crescentrating (2020), “Www.crescentrating.com/halal”, available at: www.
crescentrating.com/halal-friendly-travel-ebooks-presentations-downloads/view_document/9-global-
muslim-lifestyle-tourism-market-2012-report.html (accessed July 2012).
Frimpong, F., Dayour, F. and Bondzi-Simpson, A. (2015), “Visitor satisfaction with Ghana’s tourist
attractions”, Oguaa Journal of Social Sciences, Vol. 7 No. 3, pp. 104-124.
Hapsari, R., Clemes, M. and Dean, D. (2017), “The impact of service quality, customer engagement and
selected marketing constructs on airline passenger loyalty”, International Journal of Quality and
Service Sciences, Vol. 9 No. 1, pp. 21-40.
Kodak, M. and Rimmington, M. (2000), “Tourist satisfaction with Mallorca, Spain, as an off-Season
holiday destination”, Journal of Travel Research, Vol. 38, pp. 260-269.
Malhotra, N. (2007), Review of Marketing Research, in Malhotra, N.K. (Ed.), Emerald Group Publishing
Limited.
Neveu, N. (2010a), “Islamic tourism as an ideological construction: a Jordan study case”, Journal of
Tourism and Cultural Change, Vol. 8 No. 4, pp. 327-337.
Obalade, T. and Dubey, S. (2014), “Managing tourism as a source of revenue and foreign direct
investment inflow in a developing country: the Jordanian experience”, International Journal of
Academic Research in Economic and Management, Vol. 3 No. 3, pp. 16-41.
Organization for Islamic Conference (2008), “Member states, organisation of the Islamic conference”,
available at: http:/fwww.oic-oic.org/oicnewfmember-states (accessed 26 March 2019).
Stephenson, M., Russell, K.A. and Edgar, D. (2010), “Islamic hospitality in the UAE: indigenization of
products and human capital”, Journal of Islamic Marketing, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 9-24.
Yousefi, M. and Marzuki, A. (2015), “An analysis of push and pull motivational factors of international
tourists to Penang, Malaysia”, International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Administration,
Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 40-56.

Corresponding author
Alexander Preko can be contacted at: [email protected]

For instructions on how to order reprints of this article, please visit our website:
www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/licensing/reprints.htm
Or contact us for further details: [email protected]