From Religious Tourism to a Community Economic Ecosystem: The Proposed Wali Songo Economic Corridor
Indonesia possesses an economic asset rarely found in other countries: millions of people travel each year not merely for tourism, but in search of meaning. From the tombs of the Wali Songo, historic mosques and pesantren to centres of Islamic tradition, religious journeys form a large and relatively loyal flow of people.
Yet the economic question is no longer how many pilgrims arrive. The more important question is: how much economic value remains in the community, and how much is ultimately converted into productive capital and assets?
It is this question that should shift Indonesia’s religious tourism paradigm: from counting arrivals to building a community economic ecosystem.
From Traffic to Value
In tourism economics, the tourism multiplier effect is well known. Tourist spending does not stop at the first transaction. Money received by accommodation providers, restaurants, transport operators, traders and guides becomes income for workers and suppliers, part of which is then spent again.
For this reason, the economic value of a religious destination cannot be adequately measured by ticket sales or levies alone. It is determined by the number of visitors, length of stay, spending per visitor, local content of goods and services, and the multiplier effect.
The problem is that high traffic does not necessarily produce high economic yield. Pilgrims may arrive in the morning, visit for a few hours, buy a little food or souvenirs, and return the same day. The destination is busy, but the economic value left behind is limited.
Indonesia actually has a statistical foundation to move further. The 2025 Domestic Tourist Statistics published by BPS in April 2026 already cover travel purpose, accommodation, length of trip and average expenditure, utilising Mobile Positioning Data and the Digital Domestic Tourist Survey.
What is not yet adequately available is granular measurement of the religious tourism economy: visitor yield, local retention, jobs created, and how many MSMEs genuinely move up the value chain. This is the first missing link.
A Growing Market
Religious tourism has a unique character because its destinations are difficult to substitute. A pilgrim intending to visit the tomb of Sunan Kalijaga will not replace it with another site simply because the accommodation is cheaper. History, faith, emotional attachment and sacredness create destination-specific demand.
From the perspective of the experience economy, tourists are also not merely buying goods and services, but experiences, stories, knowledge, identity and meaning. Economic value can therefore be expanded without commercialising the substance of religion.
The market is growing. The Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index 2026 estimates that international Muslim traveller journeys will increase from around 196 million in 2025 to 208 million in 2026 and could reach 262 million by 2030, with annual spending of around US$310 billion.
This momentum is relevant for Indonesia. In July 2026, the Ministry of Tourism began preparing the Indonesia Muslim Travel Index 2026, involving regional governments from 38 provinces as an instrument for improving the quality and competitiveness of Muslim-friendly destinations.
Muslim-friendly tourism is not identical to religious tourism. However, the two overlap in halal hospitality, travel, culinary offerings, the creative economy and value-based experiences. The challenge is to ensure that growth in visits produces added value for the community.
Learning from Saudi Arabia and India
Saudi Arabia demonstrates how religious journeys can become an anchor for an economic ecosystem. During the 2026 Hajj season there were 1,707,301 pilgrims, of whom 1,546,655 came from outside Saudi Arabia. The economy does not stop at the organisation of worship, but is connected to aviation, rail, hotels, retail, digital technology, heritage and urban development.
India offers another lesson. Ayodhya and Varanasi show how religious heritage can be placed within regional development through connectivity, amenities, public spaces, hospitality and the local economy.
Indonesia need not imitate either. Our strength lies precisely in religious tourism that lives within communities. Tombs, mosques, pesantren, markets, villages, culinary traditions, crafts and customs often exist within a single social space. Indonesia’s model should therefore evolve into a community-based religious economic ecosystem.