Indonesia pursues consistent progress in Muslim-friendly tourism
“We are optimistic that we can achieve our position as Muslim-Friendly Destination of the Year next year,” Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism Bayu Aji said in a statement on Saturday.
Bayu explained that this is evident in Indonesia’s rise to second place as a Muslim-friendly destination according to the 2026 Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI), up three places from last year.
This achievement confirms Indonesia’s increasingly strong position as a competitive Muslim-friendly tourism destination globally.
Overall, Indonesia recorded a score of 79, marking its highest performance since joining the GMTI. According to Bayu, this improvement reflects the country’s consistent efforts to develop a Muslim-friendly tourism ecosystem that is high-quality, inclusive, and globally competitive.
He noted that the achievement is inseparable from various programs implemented by the Ministry of Tourism, including strengthening halal certification for micro and small business products in tourist villages and developing 15 Muslim-friendly tourism destinations through the Indonesia Muslim Travel Index (IMTI) 2025 in collaboration with Bank Indonesia.
The ministry has also strengthened destination promotion through Indonesia.travel, developed guidelines for basic Muslim-friendly tourism services, and developed technical guidelines for developing Muslim-friendly tourism destinations.
Bayu highlighted that this achievement drives stakeholders to continue working together to develop comfortable, inclusive, and high-quality destinations for Muslim tourists worldwide, while strengthening Indonesia’s position in the global tourism market.
The GMTI rankings use the ACES (Access, Communication, Environment, and Services) assessment framework, which encompasses 17 indicators. The access aspect assesses connectivity, ease of visa requirements, and transportation infrastructure.
The communication aspect evaluates language proficiency, destination promotion, and stakeholder awareness of Muslim-friendly tourism. The environmental aspect, meanwhile, covers basic infrastructure, security, sustainability, and other supporting factors.
The service dimension includes indicators such as access to mosques or prayer rooms, halal dining options, Muslim-friendly airport facilities, accommodation suited to Muslim travelers, and tourism attractions based on Islamic cultural heritage.
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Translator: Hreeloita Dharma S, Resinta Sulistiyandari