ACEH POISED TO BECOME HALAL TOURISM DESTINATION by Fardah

Jakarta, Sept 27, 2016 (Antara) - Aceh Darussalam, located at the northern tip of Sumatra Island, is all set to promote its outstanding natural beauty, ranging from the coast to the mountains and its unique culture and arts, to domestic as well as foreign tourists.

         As Indonesia's only province that has enforced sharia (Islamic law), it is natural if Aceh has decided to develop halal (permissible according to Islamic teaching) and Muslim friendly tourism as its core economy.

         Aceh has plenty to offer to tourists, from religious sites such as Baiturrahman Mosque which was built by Sultan Iskandar Muda in 1612, to the enchanting nature like Blang Kolam and Suhom waterfalls, Lampuuk and Lokhnga beaches, Pantan Terong hill and the Kuala Merisi beach.

         At the 2016 National Halal Tourism Competition (KPHN), Aceh won three awards. The award in the category of Muslim Friendly Airport was won by the Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport in Banda Aceh, and the Muslim friendly cultural destination and best tourist attraction awards went to the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque.  
    The results of the competition were announced in Jakarta on Wednesday (Sept. 22).

         "Alhamdulillah (Thank God), Aceh won prizes for three categories in competition with 117 nominees in 15 categories," Reza Fahlevi, head of the Aceh cultural and tourism office, said in Banda Aceh, recently.

         He expressed his gratitude to the people of Aceh for helping develop halal tourism in the province, and to the Central Government for supporting Aceh in its plan to participating in the World Halal Travel Awards 2016 in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.

         As the overall winner at the national competition level, Aceh will be eligible to compete in the World Halal Travel Awards 2016 in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, and will represent Indonesia, having won the National Halal Tourism Competition 2016 at home.

         Fahlevi has urged all parties to support Aceh at the awards by voting from October 17 to November 25, 2016.

         Last year, Indonesia had won three awards in the prestigious World Halal Travel Summit 2015. The awards were given at the Emirates Palace Ballroom, Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirate (UAE), on October 20.  
    Minister of Tourism  Arief Yahya had explained that the awards achieved by Indonesia were World's Best Family Friendly Hotel, which was won by Jakarta-based Sofyan Betawi Hotel.  Additionally, Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) won two awards, namely World's Best Halal Honeymoon Destination and World's Best Halal Tourism Destination.

         Yahya has lauded the Aceh administration's decision to develop halal tourism industry as the region's core economy.
    Since 2014, there has been a boom in the world's halal tourism market. Of the world's total 6.8 billion population, at least 1.6 billion are Muslim, and 60 percent of them are under 30 years old. The Muslim travel market accounted for more than $142 billion in 2014.

         It is projected that the number of Muslim travelers will reach some 180 million by 2020 and will constitute 11.4 percent of the market with an expenditure projected to be $212 billion.

         According to Pew Research, 1 out of 3 people born between 1990 and 2030 will be Muslim. Hence, the Muslim population could increase to 2.2 billion by 2030.

         In Indonesia, the halal tourism has recorded an annual growth of 15.5 per cent annually at an average.

         A Saudi tourist's average spending was around US$1,750 per visit per person, while an Emirate tourist spent around US$1,500.

         Given the potential, the Aceh provincial administration seeks to improve its tourism industry to meet its 3As - Amenity, Accessibility, and Attraction-- in order to transform the province into a world-class tourism destination under a new branding - The Light of Aceh.

         The recently launched branding strategy for Aceh's tourism will harmoniously dovetail with "Wonderful Indonesia".

         "Aceh has a lot of tourism potential that could attract tourists to the province," Aceh Governor Zaini Abdullah said in Banda Aceh recently.  
    His statement came as he attended cultural and tourism coordination meetings held under the theme, "Aceh as a leading halal tourism destination." The meetings were opened by the Minister Arief Yahya.

         Recovering from the 2004 tsunami devastation, Aceh has approximately 803 objects of tourist interest and 774 cultural sites scattered across the province.

         The tourism ministry has set a target of attracting 12 million foreign tourists this year, and 20 million by 2019. ***1***
(f001/INE/B003)
EDITED BY INE
27-09-2016 19:56:42