INDONESIA HAS HUGE POTENTIAL IN HALAL TOURISM by Fardah

Jakarta, June 3, 2016 (Antara) - As the world's largest Muslim majority country, Indonesia has a lot to offer to foreign as well as domestic Muslim travelers.

        The tourism ministry is developing halal tourism in various provinces and is particularly targeting Middle Eastern tourists, a sector that has so far remained untapped.

          According to data, tourists from the Middle East account for some 140 million annual trips, mostly to Europe.

         As for Southeast Asia, Middle Eastern tourists prefer to travel to Malaysia and Thailand, instead of Indonesia.

         The ministry has held halal tourism promotional activities over the last one month, including in Jakarta from May 10-12, 2016; Banda Aceh, from May 18-20, 2016; Padang, West Sumatra, from May 23-25, 2016; and Makassar (South Sulawesi), from May 30-June 1, 2016.

         A similar event will be organized in Bandung, West Java, from June 2-4.

         Tourism Minister Arief Yahya has set up a team to accelerate the development of halal tourism.  The team has formulated development and marketing strategies to boost halal tourism.

        The team is headed by Riyanto Sofyan and its members are Hafizuddin, Budi Rizanto Binol and Taufan Rahmadi, who is chairman of the Lombok tourism promotion office.

        Arief Yahya said halal tourism will be particularly promoted in provinces or cities which boast of a strong Islamic culture and character, such as in Lombok (West Nusa Tenggara Province), Aceh Darussalam and West Sumatra.

        The ministry has been familiarizing the halal tourism strategies among various stakeholders, including businessmen, academicians, police, the Indonesian Ulema Council, the media and the Drug and Food Supervision Board.

         The ministry has set a target of achieving 260 million trips by domestic tourists and 12 million trips by foreign tourists in 2016. Of the total trips, 228.8 million are expected to come from the halal tourism segment.

          "Halal tourism has a huge potential," Watie Moerany, assistant to the deputy in charge of Nusantara tourism marketing strategy of the tourism ministry, noted in a statement recently.

         The country's domestic tourists accounted for 255 million trips and spent Rp203.61 trillion last year.

        Based on the ministry's data, domestic Muslim tourists had spent Rp160.3 trillion in 2011, and the figure increased by seven percent to Rp179.2 trillion in 2015.

          The government has set a target of a five percent increase by 2019.

         Several Arab airlines, such as Emirates, Qatar, and Etihad, serve regular flights to Indonesia.

          The tourism minister will urge the airlines to start direct flights to Lombok, Aceh, Bandung in West Java, Surabaya in East Java, Jakarta, Medan in North Sumatra, and Makassar, in addition to Bali and Manado in North Sulawesi.

         Lombok, one of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB)'s main islands, was adjudged the best halal tourism and honeymoon destination during the World Halal Travel Awards 2015 held in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, in October last year. The event was held in conjunction with the World Halal Travel Summit 2015. 
  The awards have instilled a sense of pride and optimism in the NTB administration to promote its tourism attractions nationally and internationally to lure more domestic and foreign  tourists, particularly Muslims, who want to enjoy halal or Shariah tourism.  
      Some 65 percent of the 4.7 million population of West Nusa Tenggara lives in Lombok and up to 93 percent of them are Muslims.

          The NTB tourism office has improved facilities and services for Muslim tourists, for instance, by providing halal food and easy access to facilities for Islamic prayers and other activities in accordance with the Islamic laws (Shariah).

         The ministry has planned to set up a Middle Eastern culinary center in Loang Baloq tourism park located near a beach in Mataram, Lombok Island.

          The food center would be set up by the tourism ministry to anticipate increased arrivals of Middle Eastern tourists, Deputy Mayor of Mataram Mohan Rolisakana disclosed recently.

         Emirates airways plans to start direct flights to Lombok International Airport, NTB, from December 2016.  
    President of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Ahmad Mohamed Ali Al-Madani, during his visit to Lombok last April, stated that the IDB strongly supports the halal tourism concept being developed in Indonesia, and in NTB in particular. 
   He promised to recommend more Middle Eastern tourists to visit NTB.

        Located not far from Bali and known for its white sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and scenic views, NTB attracted 2.25 million tourists in 2012, 2.49 million in 2013 and 2.51 million in 2014.

        The NTB administration has set a target of attracting three million tourists in 2016, and is expected to generate Rp750 billion in revenue from tourism.

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(f001/INE)