Indonesia Prioritises 15 Provinces for Muslim-Friendly Tourism Development

The Ministry of Tourism has identified 15 provinces with the potential to be developed into high-quality Muslim-friendly tourist destinations. Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana stated that these provinces were assessed as potential Muslim-friendly tourism destinations based on the Indonesia Muslim Travel Index (IMTI), which is compiled with reference to the Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI).

The provinces deemed to have potential include Aceh, Riau, the Riau Islands, West Sumatra, and Bengkulu. The list also includes DKI Jakarta, Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, South Kalimantan, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, Gorontalo, and the Special Region of Yogyakarta.

To support the development of these provinces, the Ministry of Tourism is incorporating various events and activities into the Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN) calendar that are expected to attract Muslim travellers. These include the Aceh Ramadhan Festival, Aceh Culinary Festival, Muslim Life Fest, Balikpapan Islamic Festival, and Batam Wonderfood & Art Ramadhan.

The government is also facilitating Muslim travellers by providing a dedicated Muslim-friendly travel page on the official Indonesia.travel website. This platform offers information on destinations, event calendars, places of worship, and Muslim-friendly travel packages.

Minister Widiyanti added that the government continues to diversify Muslim-friendly tourism products to meet the needs and preferences of the global Muslim travel market. "Indonesia’s Muslim-friendly tourism products are also being continuously diversified, ranging from religious tourism, halal culinary, to spiritual-based wellness," she said on Thursday.