Indonesias Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry is set to leverage the countrys potential of sharia tourism this year in a bid to capture the expanding number of global Muslim travelers, especially tourists from the Middle East.
Sharia tourism is leisure and travel that complies with Islamic law, such as the provision of cuisine and beverages that contain no pork or alcohol, and the separation of men and women at tourist events and sites.
The ministrys director for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE), Rizky Handayani, said recently that the government, together with travel agencies, hotels and restaurants, was planning to promote and create tour packages aimed at Muslim travelers.
Sharia tourism is very promising because spending by Muslim tourists is growing faster than the global rate, and is forecast to reach US$192 billion globally per year by 2020, said Rizky.
As a rich and beautiful Muslim-majority nation, we have to be able to tap into this market, Rizky said, quoting a new study conducted in 47 countries by Singapore-based halal travel specialist Crescentrating along with DinarStandard, a US-based firm that tracks the Muslim lifestyle market.
According to the study, Muslim tourists globally represented a major niche market worth $126.1 billion throughout 2011. The demand is expected to grow by 4.8 percent annually through 2020, compared to the global average of 3.8 percent.
Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland and Argentina are countries that already offer sharia tourism.
Sharia tourism is not complicated. Basically, we just need to include what Muslim tourists need when traveling, such as hotels that have a kiblat sign [direction to Mecca], a prayer mat, halal food, a toilet with washing facilities and a tour that includes daily prayers, said Rizky, adding that sharia tourism was not a religious or pilgrimage journey.
Halal means permitted or lawful according to Islamic law, which forbids consuming the flesh of swine or alcoholic drinks.
"Sharia tourism" growing stronger | MuslimVillage.com | MuslimVillage.com
Sharia tourism is leisure and travel that complies with Islamic law, such as the provision of cuisine and beverages that contain no pork or alcohol, and the separation of men and women at tourist events and sites.
The ministrys director for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE), Rizky Handayani, said recently that the government, together with travel agencies, hotels and restaurants, was planning to promote and create tour packages aimed at Muslim travelers.
Sharia tourism is very promising because spending by Muslim tourists is growing faster than the global rate, and is forecast to reach US$192 billion globally per year by 2020, said Rizky.
As a rich and beautiful Muslim-majority nation, we have to be able to tap into this market, Rizky said, quoting a new study conducted in 47 countries by Singapore-based halal travel specialist Crescentrating along with DinarStandard, a US-based firm that tracks the Muslim lifestyle market.
According to the study, Muslim tourists globally represented a major niche market worth $126.1 billion throughout 2011. The demand is expected to grow by 4.8 percent annually through 2020, compared to the global average of 3.8 percent.
Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland and Argentina are countries that already offer sharia tourism.
Sharia tourism is not complicated. Basically, we just need to include what Muslim tourists need when traveling, such as hotels that have a kiblat sign [direction to Mecca], a prayer mat, halal food, a toilet with washing facilities and a tour that includes daily prayers, said Rizky, adding that sharia tourism was not a religious or pilgrimage journey.
Halal means permitted or lawful according to Islamic law, which forbids consuming the flesh of swine or alcoholic drinks.
"Sharia tourism" growing stronger | MuslimVillage.com | MuslimVillage.com
