Indonesia strengthens Muslim-friendly tourism village capacity

The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Bank Indonesia’s Department of Sharia Economics and Finance (DEKS) have launched an initiative to strengthen the capacity of tourism village managers to enhance Muslim-friendly tourism competitiveness.

As part of the 2026 Muslim-friendly Tourism Strengthening Program, a capacity-building bootcamp was held in Bandung, West Java, from August 5–7. The program included 25 selected tourism villages from Aceh, West Sumatra, West Java, Central Java, and West Nusa Tenggara—provinces that achieved top results in the 2025 Indonesia Muslim Travel Index (IMTI).

The participants, selected from 63 potential villages through a curation process by Bank Indonesia, received training in institutional governance, local-potential-based product development, digital marketing, and the implementation of Muslim-friendly tourism principles. The initiative aims to create high-quality, sustainable destinations that allow tourists to interact directly with local culture and traditions while driving regional economic growth.