Central Java Ranks Second Among Muslim-Friendly Tourism Destinations
Semarang (ANTARA) – Central Java Province has received an award for ranking second nationally among the best Muslim-friendly tourism destinations in the 2026 Indonesia Muslim Travel Index (IMTI).
Central Java Deputy Governor Taj Yasin Maimoen accepted the award at the Indonesia Muslim Friendly Tourism Summit 2026, organised by Bank Indonesia at the Jakarta International Convention Center (JICC) on Friday.
“Alhamdulillah, we are in second place. This is a gift for all of us and for the people of Central Java as we look towards 2027, with sustainable tourism, Muslim-friendly tourism and the sharia economy,” Taj Yasin said in a statement in Semarang on Friday.
The province’s result this year improved on its previous fifth-place ranking.
He said the achievement provided momentum for the Central Java provincial government to broaden Muslim-friendly tourism services and strengthen the competitiveness of the region’s tourism sector.
The improved ranking, he said, would encourage the provincial government to develop sustainable tourism integrated with Muslim-friendly services and efforts to strengthen the sharia economy.
The deputy governor, commonly known as Gus Yasin, said the result was in line with the provincial government’s work on a roadmap for developing Muslim-friendly tourism.
The roadmap is being drawn up with relevant regional agencies and Bank Indonesia, focusing on improving facilities and services needed by Muslim travellers.
He explained that development would cover hotels, culinary centres and facilities at tourist destinations.
The provincial government wants to ensure Muslim-friendly services become more widely available and are not concentrated in only certain areas.
“We are collaborating with Bank Indonesia and the stakeholders involved to create Muslim-friendly destinations,” he said.
He cited hotels with separate swimming pools in Karanganyar, available since 2024, as a reference for developing similar services in other areas.
“We need to step up these efforts and promote them so they can expand to other regions, not just Karanganyar, but throughout Central Java,” said the deputy governor, who is serving his second term.
Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said Indonesia ranked second among Muslim-friendly destinations worldwide in the 2026 Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI), with a score of 79.
IMTI is one of the instruments used to drive improvements in destination quality at regional level.
The index measures provincial readiness to provide Muslim-friendly tourism services and experiences, adapting the Global Muslim Travel Index framework, which covers access, communications, environment and services.