After a pause for the hajj season, the 1448 Hijriah umrah season\nopens again on 11 June 2026. Saudi Arabian authorities, via the Nusuk\nplatform, have been processing umrah visas since 10 June 2026. This\nmomentum comes amid extraordinary growth in the number of umrah pilgrims\nworldwide, including from Indonesia. However, behind the great\nenthusiasm of Muslims in Indonesia, an old, recurring problem has\nemerged. Hanania Travel (PT Hasanah Tama Internasional) has allegedly\ncaused losses to pilgrims amounting to around Rp60 billion, dragging in\nthousands of victims. The company\u2019s directors have been named as\nsuspects for alleged fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering.<\/p>\n
The explanation given in every umrah travel scandal is almost a\nclich\u00e9. The problem occurs because of the perpetrator\u2019s greed, weak\nsupervision, or the public being lured by low prices. Of course, this\nexplanation is not entirely wrong. But it clearly does not touch the\nroot of the actual problem. That is why such cases happen repeatedly.\nThe faithful seem to be allowed to fall into the same hole over and over\nagain. The Hanania case bears a pattern similar to various previous\nscandals, including First Travel and Abu Tours. The main problem in\nIndonesia\u2019s umrah industry lies in the characteristics of its business\nmodel, which is prone to misappropriation.<\/p>\n
Unlike ordinary travel agencies, umrah organisers often receive\npayment from pilgrims long before departure. Payments are made months or\neven years in advance. This means the company controls large amounts of\npublic funds with an obligation to provide services in the future. This\ncharacteristic makes the umrah business akin to an institution that\nmanages public funds. The funds received are not revenue that\nimmediately belongs to the company. They represent a liability that must\nbe fulfilled at a specific time. The funds are a trust that must be\nsafeguarded until the service is actually provided. Problems arise when\npilgrim funds are used for other needs beyond the obligation of\ndeparture. Some use these funds to pay for daily operations, open new\nbranches, conduct massive promotions, buy assets, expand, or cover old\nobligations. Unfortunately, some even use them for a hedonistic\nlifestyle and showing off.<\/p>\n
Consequently, the cost of sending pilgrims is no longer supported by\nthe funds they have deposited, but relies on the inflow of funds from\nnew pilgrims. The business model thus becomes highly risky. The\ncompany\u2019s sustainability no longer depends on service quality or\noperational efficiency, but on its ability to continue getting new\nregistrants. As long as new funds flow, the problem is not yet visible.\nSome pilgrims do manage to depart. On the other hand, supervision often\nfails to detect problems early on. Regulators mostly assess\nadministrative aspects, licensing, the number of branches, or document\ncompliance. The most important question is often overlooked: are the\nfunds needed to send all the pilgrims truly available? An illusion is\nthen created that the company is in a healthy condition. Moreover, the\noffice buildings appear majestic, the advertisements are bona fide,\ninfluencers are appointed as company ambassadors, and social media\ncontent further reinforces the image manipulation. The actual liquidity\ncondition is never known to the public.<\/p>\n
But when growth slows, costs rise, or operational disruptions occur,\nthe fragile financial structure begins to unravel. Suddenly, the number\nof victims has reached thousands. Failure is a certainty. It is clear\nthat without a separation between pilgrim funds and company operational\nfunds, organisational failure in managing public funds becomes almost a\ncertainty. The operational costs of the company should come from the\nowner\u2019s capital, business profits, or legitimate financing. Therefore,\nthere needs to be a core capital requirement and a capital adequacy\nratio for umrah bureaus, and this must be publicly announced.\nTransparency is an important instrument in preventing public losses.<\/p>\n
Umrah industry reform must begin with a change in perspective on\npilgrim funds. In accounting terms, pilgrim funds should be recorded as\na liability until the departure is actually carried out. The supervisory\nparadigm also needs to shift from merely licensing and administration\ntowards liquidity oversight and fund adequacy. This is actually common\nin sectors that manage public money. The next step is to mandate the\nsegregation of pilgrim funds through a special escrow account that\ncannot be freely used for company operational needs. Funds can only be\ndisbursed for payment of tickets, hotels, visas, transport, and service\ncomponents directly related to the pilgrims\u2019 departure. The bank must\nreceive adequate supporting documents for the disbursement of these\nfunds, not solely the director\u2019s signature. The government also needs to\nbuild a system for periodically assessing the health of umrah\norganisers. Every company must report the number of pilgrims yet to\ndepart.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/umrah-travel-scandals-will-continue-to-recur-1781164750", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }