Do quality halal healthcare services promote well-being toward medical tourists?

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of quality halal healthcare service factors on attitudes and well-being of medical tourists in Islamic-friendly hospitals. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 355 Muslim medical tourists in Islamic-friendly hospitals and analyzed using the partial least squares technique. Findings The results revealed that gender sensitivity care, halal medication awareness, staff professionalism (STP) and price sensitivity have a significant impact on attitudes, which in turn strongly influence well-being. Attitude was found to partially mediate the effect of gender sensitive care, halal medication awareness, STP and price sensitivity on well-being. Halal culinary service and lexical barrier do not have a significant indirect effect through attitudes. Originality/value This study assesses the halal healthcare phenomenon by investigating the connection between service quality and attitude toward the well-being of medical tourists. It demonstrates the role of halal healthcare components in an individual’s sense of satisfaction in a religious and cultural context. The results can assist hospitals and policymakers in improving a halal healthcare system pertaining to gender-sensitive care, halal medicines and trained personnel aimed at enhancing the comfort and well-being of tourists.