Indonesia boosts Muslim-friendly villages to drive regional economy

Indonesia is actively working to enhance its tourism sector by focusing on Muslim-friendly destinations, a strategic move aimed at boosting regional economies. The Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with the Sharia Economy and Finance Department of Bank Indonesia (BI), is strengthening the capacity of its leading tourist villages. This effort materialized through a Bootcamp for Capacity Building of Leading Muslim-Friendly Tourist Villages held in Bandung, West Java. The program, which ran from August 5-7, 2026, involved 25 representatives from top villages across five provinces: Aceh, West Sumatra, West Java, Central Java, and West Nusa Tenggara. These provinces were selected based on their strong performance in the 2025 Indonesia Muslim Travel Index. Masruroh, the Ministry of Tourism's Expert Staff for Digital Transformation and Tourism Innovation, highlighted the strategic importance of these villages in developing quality tourism. She stated that enhancing the skills of village tourism managers is a crucial investment for creating competitive destinations that offer sustainable benefits to local communities. The program specifically targets the growing Muslim tourist market, viewing it as a significant opportunity. The intensive three-day bootcamp provided participants with training and mentorship in areas such as institutional strengthening, destination management, product development based on local potential, digital marketing, performance indicator compilation, and the application of Muslim-friendly tourism principles. Participants were guided to identify village potentials and challenges, craft local-based tour packages, and design data-driven marketing strategies. Promising products and packages are encouraged to be listed on online travel agent platforms. Furthermore, the training covered essential service guidelines and technical instructions for Muslim-friendly tourist destinations. This includes ensuring the availability of halal food and beverages, accessible and clean places of worship, and adequate sanitation facilities. These aspects are integrated into the development of attractions, amenities, and accessibility (the 3A's) to elevate the overall quality of the destinations. Masruroh emphasized that the Muslim-friendly approach does not aim to alter the fundamental character or identity of these destinations.