PILGRIM EXPERIENCE MANAGEMENT IN DIGITAL UMRAH SERVICE TRANSFORMATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24260/sybyzt51Keywords:
digital transformation, Umrah services, pilgrim experience, customer journey, service managementAbstract
Purpose: Digital transformation has extended the management of Umrah services well beyond promotion to communication, registration, payment, religious guidance, accompaniment and post-return contact, yet digitalisation, service quality, trust and satisfaction are still studied largely as separate topics. This study analyses how pilgrim experience is managed across the service journey of digitally transforming Umrah travel agencies and how digital technology and human interaction are integrated. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative library research design was used. Journal articles, academic books and official reports on digital transformation, Umrah services, customer experience and customer journey were identified, screened, coded and synthesised through thematic analysis. Findings: Digital service transformation is a managerial change in how agencies design and coordinate pilgrim experience across touchpoints. Technology strengthens accessibility, communication speed, administrative convenience, transparency and responsiveness, whereas human interaction remains indispensable for consultation, ritual guidance, accompaniment and problem resolution. Five experience dimensions (accessibility, responsiveness, transparency, assurance and personalisation) were identified and organised into the Digital–Human Pilgrim Experience Management (DH-PEM) framework, which links digital service transformation, customer journey, pilgrim experience management, trust and satisfaction. Research limitations/implications: The framework is derived from literature synthesis and has not been tested statistically; field-based qualitative and quantitative validation is needed. Practical implications: Agencies should map the pilgrim journey and allocate technological and human roles touchpoint by touchpoint. Originality/value: The study positions pilgrim experience, rather than technology adoption, as the central object of Umrah service management and extends da'wah management scholarship with a service-journey perspective.
Keywords: digital transformation, Umrah services, pilgrim experience, customer journey, service management
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