The model for development of service quality according to Shariah principles to increase the competitiveness of hotel in Hatyai District, Songkhla Province, Thailand

Muslim tourists are a large and growing tourism market. Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province, is the center of trade and business in the southern region. However, the number of Shariah-compliant hotels is few, and the services do not respond to the needs of Muslim tourists. This study aimed to improve the service quality of Shariah-compliant hotels in Hatyai District, Songkhla Province, and establish a practical model of Shariah-compliant hotels that responds to the behavior and needs of Muslim tourists. This research used a qualitative research method. Data were collected by using interviews. The collected data were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics. The results revealed that customers could be divided into 3 groups: 1) foreign tourists 2) Thai tourists and 3) customers for meetings, seminars, and weddings. Muslim customers who want halal food and drinks were needed the most, followed by a qibla direction symbol in the room and a washroom equipped with a bidet, hand shower, or water hose. The findings also showed that the entrepreneurs used various strategies to provide their customers with unique services and create awareness of Shariah services by naming their hotels using Muslim names. The model for developing a prototype of the Shariah-compliant hotel to respond to the needs of Muslim tourists consisted of 3 key components: 1) customer needs; 2) potential and readiness of entrepreneurs; and 3) Shariah principles. The Shariah-compliant hotel model could be categorized into two levels: 1) partially Shariah-compliant hotel and 2) fully Shariah-compliant hotel.