Heri Sisworo
Indonesia has been rising steadily in the Halal Tourism scene. After several years, Indonesia finally reaches the top of the Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2019. GMTI is a report compiled by Crescent Rating that measures the ‘friendliness’ of a country to the Muslim travelers.
Baca juga : Rujak Cingur Racikan Bu Tuti, Lezatnya Bikin Kangen Solo
This is the fifth edition of GMTI, and this year Indonesia’s effort to provide halal tourism is showing the results. In 2015, Indonesia was only at sixth position and every year they go up a position or so. Finally, this year, they share the top the list with Malaysia by accumulating 78 points each.
The four criteria
There are four criteria to measure the rating. The first criterion is access which includes visa requirements, air connectivity, and transport infrastructure. There is also communication criterion which covers outreach, ease of communication, and digital presence.
Environment criteria cover safety and culture, visitor arrivals, and enabling climate. The last criterion is the core needs (halal foods and prayers), core services (hotel and airports), and unique experiences.
Progressive
Indonesia is progressively developing its halal tourism, providing more and more halal tourism to the rest of the Muslim countries. “Indonesia is the only country which progressively develops halal tourism destinations,” Fazal Bahardeen, the CEO of Crescent Rating, said during the announcement of the report.
Five Goals
There are five travel development goals for halal tourism.
- The first goal is integration, diversity, and faith. This means to enable Muslims to be active citizens of the global community while remaining spiritual.
- The second goal is heritage, culture, and connection. This means to connect Muslim travelers to one another, the local community, and the heritage and history.
- The third goal is education, insights, and capabilities. This is to enhance understanding among communities. Increase academic and industry knowledge to increase the capabilities of stakeholders.
- The fourth goal is the industry, innovation, and trade. This is to create new opportunities to increase commerce and drive growth across multiple sectors.
- The fifth goal is well-being and sustainable tourism. This means to recognize its responsibility and social impact on travelers, wider community and environment.
Indonesia’s effort
Indonesia has done serious effort to be the best provider of halal tourism. Indonesia now has the Indonesia Muslim Travel Index (IMTI) which adhere to the standard set by GMTI. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism also organize a lot of technical guidance and workshops to promote the 10 main halal destinations in the country.
Ramadan Tourism in Indonesia
The biggest festival during Ramadan is held in Lombok. Pesona Khazanah Ramadan festival is an island-wide celebration in Lombok to mark the holy month of Ramadan. This festival is not just showcasing the spirituality of Lombok people, but also the many halal tourism in all over Indonesia. If you are a Muslim, you will feel like home during the festival while still can enjoy the magnificent beauty of Lombok island. Next
