Ethics and anti-consumption of Muslim-friendly tourism in Tunisia

Résumé 0

Over the past two decades, the Muslim-friendly tourism (MFT) market has become a major component of the global tourism industry. Despite the growing interest it arouses around the world, its degree of development is heterogeneous between countries. Tunisia, a country strong in its expertise in the promotion of mass tourism to European countries but in full political, economic, and social transition after the Jasmine Revolution, is encountering strong resistance from the local population regarding the development of this tourist niche. This research explores anti-consumption behavior in the field of MFT in Tunisia. It aims to identify the factors favoring the development of an attitude of avoidance of MFT in Tunisia and to determine its consequences. A questionnaire survey was conducted on a sample of 178 non-user participants. To test the hypotheses, we conducted regression analyses. The results confirm that religiosity has no impact on MFT avoidance. On the other hand, ideological incompatibility, symbolic incongruity, negative social influence, and a high degree of skepticism toward the Halal label strongly contribute to the development of a negative attitude toward MFT. This generates an intention to avoid its use as well as a desire to convey a negative word-of-mouth. The results of this study guide actors on the marketing actions to be developed to overcome this anti-consumption. An awareness campaign on the economic, cultural, and social benefits of MFT and the development of an innovative Muslim-friendly (MF) tourist offer around eco-responsibility, solidarity, and humanitarianism are development paths to be considered.