PRIVATE SECTOR POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP ISLAMIC TOURISM

Jakarta, 17 Rajab 1435/16 May 2014 (MINA) – Head of Sub-Directorate of Corporate and Special Interest of Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf) Taufik Nurhidayat said the boarding schools have a role in developing Islamic (sharia) tourism in Indonesia.

Institutions of Islamic boarding schools as having a role in the development of human resources (capacity building) for travel managers in the implementation of sharia according to the teachings of Islam.

“Kemenparekraf provides business education in sharia tourism capacity for boarding parties,” Taufik told Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) on Wednesday.

Taufik said, there are about 13 sharia tourist destination in Indonesia, which already has own facilities such as in Aceh, West Sumatra, Riau, Lampung, Banten, Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Central Java, East Java, South Sulawesi, West Nusa Tenggara and Bali.

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In its tours guide, there are some additional places over having Islamic religious values such as a mosque or surau, historical relics related to the spread of Islam in the country, including the tombs of the kings and leaders of Islam.

However, Taufik said, Kemenparekraf have problems because many companies of sharia tour provider in Indonesia have not been organized.

Indonesia will host the first international forum on sharia tourism entitled “The 1st International Forum on Islamic Tourism 2014,” as a follow up of the previous meeting between Minister of Tourism from the countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OKI) in Banjul, Gambia on last December 6, 2013.

Implementation of the first International Forum on Tourism of Islamic and first implemented in Indonesia was organized in collaboration with the OKI scheduled on June 2 and 3, 2014 at the Hotel Borobudur, Jakarta.

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Taufik said, the international forum will invite speakers within and outside the country, as well as officials, ministers, bussinessman, agencies and stakeholders of Indonesian tourism, which is composed of the Provincial Tourism Office, District/Municipal, Association Travel, tourism College, and sharia communities.

The subjectives is to explain the potential magnitude of Islamic tourism and promote cooperation among the OKI member states. The event also is a way to ground the global movement of Islamic economics.

The implementation of the activities of The 1st OIC International Forum on Islamic Tourism is based on the potential of the World Muslim travelers who continues to develop each year.

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According to the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life, Muslims world traveler population is expected to continue to grow from 1.6 billion, or approximately 23.4 % of the world population of 6.9 billion in 2010 to about 2.2 billion, or about 26,4 % of the total world population of 8.3 billion in 2030, with average growth of 1.5 % annually.

Taufik explained, Kemenparekraf has collaborated with the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) in the development of Islamic Tourism includes four types of tourism business components, namely hospitality, restaurant, bureau or travel services, and spa.

Taufik hopes this would be a success with the support of various stakeholders including policy makers (stakeholders), scholars, and students.(T/P04/P03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)