ABSTRACT

The increasing number of tourists from around the world has further affirmed the importance of tourism-related income to Malaysia’s economy. In responding to this growth, a number of initiatives have been launched in the country in order to boost the sector. One of the initiatives is the application of Islamic or Shariah principles in hotel operations and services to attract more tourists to the country. Most hoteliers need to ensure that the Shariah concept is not just limited to the context of food. From this perspective, the halal concept is no longer confined to the hotel kitchens and food preparation processes, but is also extended to the operations, design, and even the financial system of the hotel. However, the Shariah-compliant hotel is a relatively new concept among hoteliers in Malaysia and generally hotel management still have no clear guidelines on how to comply with the principles in their work environment. Despite the lack of clear guidelines, hotels that introduce the concept of halal have continuously gained an advantage compared to their rivals. This shows that clear guidelines for the Shariah-compliant hotel should be developed. Hence, this chapter aims to discuss the criteria for the guidelines called Shariah-Compliant Hotel Operations Practices (SCHOP) which have five main dimensions: administrative, common areas, bedroom, service, and food and beverage practices.