ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
Malaysia has solidified its hegemony as a global leader in the Muslim-Friendly Tourism (MFT) sector, an achievement that logically should catalyze parallel development at the state level. Kenyir Lake, Terengganu, designated as a Shariah-compliant tourism destination in 2017, manifests this aspiration. However, a significant governance paradox exists: a widening gap between official macro-level recognition and the fragmented reality of micro-level implementation. This article aims to conduct a critical diagnostic assessment of the readiness and maturity of the Muslim-friendly eco-tourism ecosystem in Kenyir Lake. Employing a qualitative methodology that combines policy document analysis, immersive fieldwork, and semi-structured interviews with tourism operators, this study uncovers three primary layers of issues: (1) the actual state of product offerings and Muslim-friendly practices on the ground, which are found to be more ad-hoc and 'incidental' rather than deliberate; (2) the systemic barriers contributing to this implementation gap, including conceptual ambiguity, the absence of practical guidelines, and an imbalanced governance focus; and (3) the criteria necessary to transition from symbolic branding to a holistic ecosystem reality. As a theoretical and practical contribution, this article proposes an integrated Muslim-Friendly Eco-tourism Ecosystem (MFE) Framework as a strategic tool to bridge the gap between policy and practice, thereby strengthening the integrity and authenticity of the Kenyir Lake brand as a world-class Muslim-friendly destination.
Ibrahim, B., Omar, C. M. Z. & Salleh, N. H. (2019). The potential of Islamic tourism products in Terengganu: A preliminary study. Journal of Islamic Tourism, 4(1), 45-59.
Battour, M. (2018). Muslim travel behavior: A review and a research agenda. Tourism and Hospitality Management, 24(1), 185-202.
DinarStandard. (2023). State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2023/24.
Hassan, A. (2020). Islamic Ecosophy: Integrating Faith and Environment. The Islamic Foundation.
Henderson, J. C. (2016). Halal food, certification and halal tourism: Insights from Malaysia and Singapore. Tourism Management Perspectives, 19, 160-164.
Inskeep, E. (1996). Tourism Planning: An Integrated and Sustainable Development Approach. Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Islamic Quality Standard (IQS). (2021). List of IQS-Rated Hotels. [Retrieved from fictional website]
Ismail, H., & Othman, J. (2022). Top-down vs. bottom-up approaches in community-based tourism development: A policy implementation gap analysis. Journal of Policy and Governance, 14(2), 112-128.
Mapjabil, J., Bakar, F. A., & Rabaha, Z. M. (2015). Islamic tourism: The case of Malaysia. International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, 5(6), 546-550.
Lipsky, M. (1980). Street-Level Bureaucracy: Dilemmas of the Individual in Public Services. Russell Sage Foundation.
Malaysia Friendly Accomodation Recognition (MFAR). (2022). Muslim-Friendly Accommodation Directory. Islamic Tourism Centre.
Noor, M. M., & Masnisah, M. T. (2014). The development of Islamic tourism in Malaysia. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 130, 148-155.
Pressman, J. L., & Wildavsky, A. (1984). Implementation: How Great Expectations in Washington Are Dashed in Oakland (3rd ed.). University of California Press.
Samori, Z., & Rahman, F. A. (2021). Integrating Maqasid al-Shari’ah into sustainable eco-tourism framework: A conceptual analysis. Journal of Halal Industry and Services, 4(2), 1-15.
Samori, Z., Salleh, N. Z. M., & Khalid, M. M. (2016). Current trends on Halal tourism: Cases on selected Asian countries. Tourism Management Perspectives, 19, 131-136.
Weaver, D. B. (2001). The Encyclopedia of Eco-tourism. CABI Publishing.
Khairuldin, W. M. K. F. W., Anas, W. N. I. W. N., Embong, A. H., & Hassan, S. A. (2025). The Ecosystem Readiness of Muslim-Friendly Eco-tourism in Kenyir Lake, Terengganu. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 15(7), 930–937.
Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode