Indonesia expands halal tourism through professional training and regional development

The halal tourism sector is seeing significant growth and professional development in Indonesia. The Indonesia Tour Leader Association (ITLA) recently held a training session titled ‘Beyond The Basics: A Practical Guide to Leading Muslim Travelers’ to enhance the competence and empathy of tour leaders in serving diverse religious needs, including prayer times and halal food requirements.

In Bali, the Masjid Pantai Jembrana is being developed as a hub for religious tourism, halal tourism, and the sharia economy. This initiative aims to connect Hajj and Umrah services with local MSMEs and creative economies. The expansion includes the opening of a new Gaido Travel branch at the mosque to foster a broader economic ecosystem.

Global trends indicate that Muslim women are becoming key decision-makers in travel, representing 48% of global Muslim travelers. Projections suggest international Muslim arrivals could reach 245 million by 2030. To capitalize on this, Indonesia is aggressively expanding halal certification across 1,500 tourism villages in 15 priority provinces and launching the Indonesia Muslim Travel Index (IMTI).