Factors of Islamic City Image in Kota Bharu Islamic City Through View of Visitors at Kelantan, Malaysia

Abstract

The destination image formation process is complexly knotted with the destination selection process. Tourism image is critical to the success of any destination, but some tourism image research has been piecemeal without a theoretical foundation for support. Kota Bharu, as a tourism destination, was rebranded from Cultural City to Islamic City; thus, the urban design of the city was transformed into an Islamic identity. The existing literature regarding the image of the city shows there are some discrepancies in the Islamic image perceived among residents, but to date, limited research has been done from the perspective of visitors. This research aims to measure the overall Kota Bharu Islamic city image from visitors’ perspective and identify factors that have a significant impact on the Islamic city image. Data were collected among 450 visitors in Kota Bharu selected using stratified random sampling. Data were analysed with the aid of SPSS 24 and the SmartPLS-SEM technique. Results revealed that the visitors perceive the Islamic city image of Kota Bharu positively especially the Religious Identity and Order. Partial least squares analysis discovered Religious Identity, Order, Hygiene, and Landscape and Natural Environment are factors to the Islamic city image. This research could guide city managers and professionals in tourism and built environment industries to generate the correct image and help destination marketers develop strategic marketing strategies to attract visitors and encourage revisits.