Tourism Minister strengthens halal tourism ecosystem in Jatimulyo Village

Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana affirmed her commitment to strengthening a high-quality, inclusive, and sustainable halal tourism ecosystem by presenting halal certificates to five MSME representatives in Jatimulyo Village, Kulon Progo, Special Region of Yogyakarta. ‘Our presence today is not only to present halal certificates but also to reaffirm our joint commitment to building a higher-quality, inclusive tourism ecosystem that delivers direct benefits to communities,’ Tourism Minister Widiyanti said in a statement confirmed in Jakarta on Monday. The halal certificate handover, conducted alongside BPJPH Chief Haikal Hasan in Kulon Progo, Special Region of Yogyakarta, follows a strategic collaboration between the Tourism Ministry and BPJPH to expedite halal certification for MSME products in tourist villages. Jatimulyo Village was chosen as the certificate handover location due to its numerous achievements. It secured first place in the Advanced Tourist Village category at the 2024 Indonesian Tourist Village Awards (ADWI). Additionally, Jatimulyo received sustainable tourist village certification facilitation in 2020. The Tourism Minister explained that halal certification not only enhances trust, comfort, and service quality for tourists but also provides tangible added value for communities and businesses. ‘When MSMEs obtain halal certification, their competitiveness improves. Consumer trust grows, and market access expands for both domestic and international tourists,’ the Tourism Minister said. The halal certification acceleration program has been operational since July 2025 through pilot projects in 20 tourist villages. Since late 2025, it has expanded to 1,500 tourist villages nationwide, including Jatimulyo. Nationally, the Tourism Ministry and BPJPH collaboration has issued 31,548 halal certificates across 1,116 tourist villages in 34 provinces. According to Tourism Minister Widiyanti, these achievements are commendable as each halal certificate reflects business guidance, product quality improvements, and broader economic opportunities for communities, especially in tourist villages. The Special Region of Yogyakarta ranks fifth nationally in issued halal certificates, following Central Java, West Java, Banten, and Riau. BPJPH Chief Haikal Hasan stated that the halal tourism concept is rapidly growing in various countries and is not exclusively for Muslim tourists. He added that countries such as China, the United States, and South Korea are also developing halal tourism as a new economic growth driver. Haikal is optimistic that the Tourism Ministry and BPJPH synergy will strengthen the national halal industry while supporting Indonesia’s 2028-2029 economic growth targets. ‘We hope this collaboration continues and expands to more regions so that the benefits can be felt more widely by the public,’ he said. ‘When MSME products in tourist villages obtain halal certification, we are not just building product legitimacy but a more dignified business civilization. We are affirming that villages can become advanced economic spaces without losing their noble values,’ Imam said. ‘We are very proud and grateful for this trust. We will continue efforts to ensure more tourist destinations in Kulon Progo obtain halal certification,’ Agung said.