Muzułmanie jako uczestnicy ruchu turystycznego – wybrane determinanty turystyki religijnej i pozareligijnej

Abstract

The article above concerns the tourism activity undertaken by Muslim countries citizens for religious and non-religious reasons. Except of available literature, the article is based on field research about exclusive tourism, socio-cultural tourism dysfunctions in Tunisia, Turkey, Dubai and Malaysia (1998–2006) and about tourism product in Penang, Malaysia (2010). The information is completed by the data from tourism magazines directed to Muslim readers, such as Islamic Tourism. In a frame of religious tourism, we cannot talk about evident change of tourist destinations. The holy place will remain holly place with no regard to the fashion or globalization processes. The transformation concerns however the form of travel, that more and more often is organized by tour operators. The tourism market reacted to this need very rapidly. The magazines published in Muslims countries are full of advertising of Hajj full services. In between the non-religious factors that impact on tourism activity of Muslims, we can indicate: post colonial traditions, national customs, hospitality and liberalism in the receiving place, and last, not least – the fashion. An example of a “perfect destination” can be given by Dubai, Tunisia and Malaysia. The transformations in a frame of non-religious tourism are more significant. It concerns both: the change of a destination itself and the components of tourism product. The Muslim tourists decide more and more often to spend their holiday in other Muslim countries, instead of the western ones. On the response of different needs of that particular group, the components of tourism product are strongly modified, becoming less attractive for the westerns (eg. Penang, Malaysia).