Muslim travelers are becoming a larger portion of the travel sector, which is acknowledged. The demand for visiting a place that is accommodating to Muslims and has Muslim-friendly facilities has substantially expanded. Nevertheless, many academics claim that Muslim-friendly accommodations service and destination performance are still lagging behind that of a traditional hotel and facilities because of the standards that apply to Muslim-friendly destination service delivery. A wise understanding of the antecedents contributes to a positive Muslim-friendly destination image which will in turn improve destination loyalty. This research analysed the antecedents of the Muslim-friendly destination image based on two factors namely Muslim-friendly hospitality attributes (Halal food, Staff, Social Environment, Facilities, Service & Information, and Uniform Attire). The dimension of self-congruity is also included to understand its moderating role between the Muslim-friendly hospitality attributes and Muslim-friendly destination image. The framework of this study was developed based on the Gartner model of destination image formation. The inclusion of the “Self-Congruity” theory as a moderating variable also provides an extension of knowledge to complement the previous models that examined the image formation of a destination. The survey will be conducted based on the judgment sampling technique. Moreover, responses will be gathered from local and international Muslim tourists who are visiting or have visited Muslim destinations in Malaysia. Data will be analysed using SPSS and SmartPLS4. Based on its interactive, comprehensive, and multidimensional model, this research will narrow down the dearth of Muslim-friendly tourism image formation literature while at the same time improving Muslim-friendly destination loyalty in Malaysia.
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