Local people’s attitude, avoidance, image, and knowledge about Muslim visitors at tourism destinations: a cumulative prospect theory

This study explored the factors influencing residents’ intentions to support Muslim-friendly tourism, focusing on attitudes, avoidance behaviors, image perceptions, knowledge, and experiences. The findings revealed that residents’ attitudes, avoidance responses, and perceived image of Muslim-friendly tourism significantly impacted their intentions, while knowledge and experiences did not have a significant predictive effect. By applying Cumulative Prospect Theory and utilizing fsQCA analysis, the study identified four key causal configurations that shape residents’ perceptions of Muslim-friendly tourism. It demonstrated that positive attitudes and avoidance responses are crucial factors. Notably, loss factors, such as Islamophobia, exerted a greater influence than gain factors, underscoring the need to address negative perceptions to enhance local acceptance of Muslim-friendly tourism. Additionally, a cross-cultural comparison indicated that US residents generally possess more positive perceptions, greater familiarity, and stronger support for Muslim-friendly tourism compared to South Korean residents, who tend to be more cautious and exhibit higher levels of avoidance.