Rest Area Km 88 and At-Thohir Mosque in Depok Set as West Java Halal Tourism Pilot Projects

The West Java Provincial Government has designated the Km 88 Toll Road Rest Area and the At-Thohir Mosque in Depok as pilot projects for developing tourism infrastructure that meets international Muslim-friendly standards. West Java Deputy Governor Erwan Setiawan stated that tourism today cannot be managed in old ways, but must be built with strong data, appropriate policies, broad collaboration, and an inclusive approach. He explained that as a region where 97 per cent of the population is Muslim, West Java has a significant urgency to revamp its tourism management to capture the global market, especially travellers from Malaysia, Singapore, and the Middle East. Through the integration of the National Tourism Development Index (IPKN) data, the provincial government can now map tourism investments based on accurate and verified data. Head of the West Java Tourism and Culture Office, Iendra Sofyan, explained that the tactical step of this designation coincides with the launch of the Smiling West Java-Muslim Friendly Tourism (SWJ-MFT) Award 2026 and the publication of the province’s IPKN achievements. Iendra elaborated that the project at the Km 88 Rest Area will focus on standardising worship facilities and strictly curating halal culinary offerings. Meanwhile, the At-Thohir Mosque is projected to become a major religious tourism attraction in West Java through digital service interventions. He added that the SWJ-MFT Award 2026 opens a standardisation competition covering eight operational categories, including Muslim-friendly regencies/cities, hotels, restaurants, natural attractions, cultural heritage attractions, man-made attractions, tourist villages, and shopping malls. The central government, through the Acting Deputy for Destination and Infrastructure Development at the Ministry of Tourism, Reza Pahlevi, expressed full appreciation and assessed that West Java’s acceleration measures deserve to be a barometer for other provinces in developing integrated Muslim-friendly destinations. In line with this, Deputy Mayor of Depok, Chandra Rahmansyah, clarified the market stigma by asserting that the Muslim-friendly concept is not designed to restrict the creative industry, but to provide security and comfort for tourists while strengthening superior, beautiful, safe, comfortable, inclusive, and world-class destinations in West Java.