INDONESIA ISLAMIC TOURISM TO GO INTERNATIONAL
Jakarta, 4 Sya’ban 1435/3 June 2014 (MINA) – The Indonesia Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Mari Eka Pangestu said Indonesia has advantages in developing Islamic tourism, can dominate the tourism world market, as well as the large number of Muslim majority.
“Indonesia has a strong history and culture of Islamic civilization. Those can be prepared as a Islamic tourism destinations,” said Mari in the first Islamic tourism forum in Jakarta, Monday to Tuesday.
The Minister also stated the readiness of human resources is the main requirement to make Indonesian Islamic Tourism destinations such as West Sumatra, Riau, Lampung, Jakarta, Banten, West Java, East Java, Lombok and Makassar being known by tourists from many countries.
“The first target, we will make standardization of Islamic Tourism this and it has already started in some of hotels, travel agencieswho serve them,”Mari added.
The Conference was attended by members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and to discuss prospects and challenges of Islamic tourism nowadays and the next.
The Indonesian Vice President, Boedionoopened the conference. Hetold the strategic position of Indonesia in developing Islamic tourism.
Islamic tourism has now started popping because the demand of Muslim tourism to halal services growing significantly.
The event is a follow-up meeting of tourism ministers meeting of OIC countries in Banjul, Gambia on December 6, 2013. They awared the importance ofhalal tourism facilities as began intensified by Japan as a non-Muslim countries to attract tourists from Muslim countries.
Nowadays, Muslim world population grow from 1.6 billion, or 23.4 percent of the world population to 6.9 billion to 2.2 billion, or 26.4 percent of the total population of the world, according to the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life.
In addition, Muslim population of the world is taking part in the world’s financial market rate. According to the Thomson Reuters in State of Islamic Global Economy in 2012 reported the spendingof Muslim for food and drinks reach $ 1,088 billion or 16.6 percent of world’s population expenditure needs.
The report also said the financial assets owned by the Muslim world today reached 1.354 billion U.S. dollars. While the potential of Islamic banks amount to $ 4,095 billion, or about 3.3 percent of the world’s banks assets.
Muslim world needs in clothing sector reached $ 224 billion in 2012, or 10.6 percent of world clothing needs. In 2018, it is expected to reach$ 322 billion, or 11.5 percent of the world demand.
In traveling sector, Muslims around the world spend $ 137 billion dollars in 2012, or about 12.5 percent of global output. It is expected toreach$ 181 billion in 2018 (outside hajj and umra). (L/ Putri/P04)
Miraj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
