THE INTERPLAY OF FAMILY-FRIENDLY TOURISM, SOCIAL MEDIA, HALAL FOOD APPS, AND SUSTAINABLE HALAL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

This paper investigates the interplay between family-friendly tourism, social media, and Halal food apps, and their collective impact on sustainable Halal tourism development. Using a mixed-methods approach—starting with grounded theory in a qualitative phase followed by structural equation modeling (SEM) in the quantitative phase—the study identifies three independent variables (family-friendly tourism, social media, and Halal food apps) and one dependent variable (sustainable Halal tourism development). Results reveal significant positive relationships between all independent variables and sustainable Halal tourism development. The findings offer practical implications for tourism stakeholders, especially in non-Muslim-majority countries aiming to attract Muslim travelers through Halal-friendly infrastructure, digital tools, and culturally sensitive services.